Lily of the valley is an old-fashioned favorite, loved for its arching sprays of tiny white bells and sweet fragrance in spring. The flowers last for several weeks and make charming little bouquets.
It is tougher than it looks, spreading into a dense groundcover about 6 to 8 inches tall. Use it in woodland gardens, under trees, on shady slopes or in containers. Small orange berries sometimes follow the flowers.
What it looks like
A low, spreading colony about 6 to 8 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide per clump. Each plant has two or three broad, upright, lance-shaped leaves 5 to 8 inches long, medium to dark green and smooth. Slender arching stems, often held among the leaves, carry 5 to 8 nodding, bell-shaped flowers each about a quarter inch wide, waxy white with small scalloped rims. Small round orange-red berries may follow. At peak bloom a dense carpet of green leaves is sprinkled 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
-
Botanical name: Convallaria majalis
-
Flower color: White
-
Foliage: Medium to dark green
-
Growth habit: Low, spreading groundcover
-
Mature size: 6–8 in tall × 12–18 in wide
-
USDA hardiness zones: 2–7
-
Light: full sun, part sun to part shade, full shade
-
Bloom start: Early-May
-
Peak bloom: Mid-May
-
Bloom pattern: Single Flush
-
Deer resistance: Resistant
-
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.
Lavender companion · grow guide
Community Grower Report
