Lily of the Valley 101

With spring coming soon and my last post about white spring flowers, I thought I would focus one post specifically on lily of the valley. I am seeing this flower all over Pinterest this year. It’s big in wedding bouquets, cut flower arrangements, potted up nicely, and just as a landscape flower.

About Lily of the Valley

• PERENNIAL
• Zones 3-8
• Partial Shade
• Loose, fertile, well drained soil
• Blooms early spring
• 10″ tall by 1-2 feet wide, it’s a spreader
• Considered a ground cover
• Rhizome root structure
• Relatively pest resistant
• Fragrant
• Great as cut flower or bouquet
• Can be grown in pots or in the ground

Maintenance

• Require regular watering until well established, deep watering is better than small drinks
• Leave the green foliage after the flowers are done. This is where the plant gets its energy for the next year
• Doesn’t like being soggy so make sure soil is well-draining or add compost and mulch to help soil structure
• Can add mulch around in winter to help insulate, making sure not to cover the base of the plant. The over-winter well without mulch also.
• Likes to spread out due to rhizomes so if it’s spreading where you don’t want to, you’ll have to dig up the new shoots. (give them to your friends or multiply your growing spots!)

Seeds and Dividing

• Can grow from seeds but growing from a root division (rhizome) is the most common and easiest way
  • divide rhizomes every 2 years in the fall or early spring
  • dig up around the root ball and gently pull apart and separate the rhizomes you want to move. Learn more about rhizomes HERE
  • plant at least 1/2 inch deep, making sure to bury the roots but not too much of the greenery or leaves

These potted ones I’m seeing everywhere have really inspired me to get some in pots of my own. You can usually buy these plants from your nursery or online. You could also check your local FB garden page for someone giving away extra rhizomes.

Fun Facts

• Said to bring good luck in love
• Kate Middleton used Lily of the Valley in her wedding bouquet
• Legend says it grew from Eve’s tears
• It means “belonging to May” and is May’s birth flower
• It is Finland’s national flower
• It belongs to the asparagus family
• Can be poisonous if ingested