Bordeaux is an improved lily of the valley with larger, pure white bells, 8 to 12 per stem, held up above the leaves rather than hidden among them. The sweet fragrance is the classic scent of spring, and the flowers last for several weeks.
Behind the delicate flowers is a tough, spreading groundcover about 6 to 8 inches tall. Plant it in shady woodland areas, under trees, on slopes or in pots, and cut a few stems for a small vase. This listing is for flowering-size pips.
What it looks like
A low, spreading colony about 6 to 8 inches tall. Each plant has two or three broad, upright, tulip-like leaves 5 to 8 inches long, dark green, smooth and rounded at the tips. Slender arching stems rise just above the leaves carrying 8 to 12 nodding, bell-shaped flowers each about a third of an inch wide, pure waxy white with neatly flared scalloped rims. Small round orange berries may follow the flowers. At peak bloom a carpet of dark green leaves is dotted with arching strands of white bells.
Growing it with lavender
Lily of the valley prefers shade and steady moisture, so it belongs away from lavender, under trees or along a shady north-facing foundation.
Care
Plant in part to full shade in average to rich soil that stays evenly moist; it will take some sun in cooler spots. Hardy in zones 2-7. It spreads readily by underground stems, so give it room or edge it, and note that all parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Convallaria majalis
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Flower color: Pure white
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Foliage: Dark green
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Growth habit: Low, spreading groundcover
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Mature size: 6–8 in tall × 8–15 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 2–7
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade, full shade
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Bloom start: Early-May
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Peak bloom: Mid-May
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Resistant
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Pollinator value: Fair
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly. Arrives as dormant pips (slender pointed buds on short roots) that look lifeless until they sprout; plant the pips just below the soil surface.
Shipping note: Ships as dormant pips (bare root buds) that look lifeless until they sprout.
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