Description
Convallaria majalis
Lily-of-the-Valley. One of those perennials that really needs no introduction. It is native to Britain and is particularly common on Lime rich soils, growing thick tangled mats of root in woodland situations. Each node produces two broad leaves in the middle of which nestle the stiff little spikes hung on one side with little fragrant white bells, each with a narrowed frilly opening like an old-fashioned maids bonnet. Lily-of-the-Valley is easily grown and adaptable and particularly suited to leaving alone in difficult dry situations where it will happily carpet and provide fragrant little posies each Spring.
Convallaria
Lily-of-the-Valley. One of those perennials that really needs no introduction. It is native to Britain and is particularly common on Lime rich soils, growing thick tangled mats of root in woodland situations. Each node produces two broad leaves in the middle of which nestle the stiff little spikes hung on one side with little fragrant white bells, each with a narrowed frilly opening like an old-fashioned maids bonnet. Lily-of-the-Valley is easily grown and adaptable and particularly suited to leaving alone in difficult dry situations where it will happily carpet and provide fragrant little posies each Spring.
Lily-of-the-Valley is the national flower of Finland (and formerly of Yugoslavia). In flower lore it is said to stand for humility, chastity, sweetness and purity and bring luck in love. It also brings the promise of a return to happiness. Humility comes from the story that a young St John offered Lily-of-the-Valley to the Virgin Mary. The religious connection goes further. Children would bring flowers to church at Pentecost, referring to them as ladders to Heaven and counting each flower as an angel.
In earlier England it was known as glovewort as it was used to produce a salve for the hands. Probably not advisable given its poisonous nature, containing as it does nearly 40 different cardiac glycosides.
Convallaria comes from conval, a valley, and rica, a cloak. That is they cloth the valley, a reference to their preferring sheltered sites. It is also called Apollinaris as it was said to have been discovered by Apollo.
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