Which is stronger roots or lily of the valley flowers. May lily of the valley: care and cultivation in the open field. Where does lily of the valley grow

Fragile, dressed in pale white, and sometimes pale pink petals, lilies of the valley intoxicate everyone with a drunken aroma. Rare in their kind, they are listed in the Red Book.

Beautiful lilies of the valley become a kind of muse for florists, artists are inspired to create still lifes, photographers for a new kind of photography - professional photography colors. They are named after spirits, pets, household appliances, cafes and restaurants.

Photos of lilies of the valley, roses and daffodils in the windows of flower shops are especially popular. Widely used in perfumery.

Short story

Among the people they are also known as: konvaliya, May and field lily, Mayevka, Cheremka.
The plants owe their name to the works of the outstanding botanist Carl Linnaeus. The literal translation of the flower is "lily growing in the valley."

There are several origin options. According to one of them, the name is borrowed from the Polish word "lanuszka" due to the similarity of the leaves with the ends of the ears of a wild fallow deer. In another way, these are copulations of the two words "incense" and "breathe" because of the pungent and fragrant aroma.

Lily of the valley is a forest perennial plant that grows in the Northern Hemisphere. They are most often found in cool or damp places.

Walking through the forest, sometimes you can find whole glades of lily of the valley leaves, but you can’t see the bells themselves. The whole reason is that the maximum period of life of the rhizome is up to 21 years.

Bloom

The first flowering occurs at 7-8 years old, at 10-12 years old they lose this opportunity. New dark green leaves are formed every spring, the ability to bloom appears after 2-3 years.

The powerful smell and pollen attract bees and bumblebees. The fruit of the flower is a round orange or red berry. The plant itself is poisonous, but it is widely used in modern medicine. Has been used since ancient times.

Growing and propagating lily of the valley should be done very carefully, following the usual safety precautions.

Application in medicine

  • improvement of the heart
  • strengthening blood vessels
  • insomnia and neurosis
  • included in allergy medications
  • at high temperature and headaches
  • for the treatment of cholecystitis and the removal of inflammatory processes
  • psychiatric disorders

medication based on medicinal flower only after consulting a doctor and strictly observing the dose of application.

Reverse sides of blooming lilies of the valley

A bouquet of lilies of the valley should not be kept in a small, cramped and enclosed space. Especially in the bedroom or room small child. lovers this plant often need to ventilate the room. Because of strong aroma you can just get poisoned.

Symptoms of poisoning

  • headache and frequent dizziness, up to loss of consciousness
  • nausea and vomiting
  • drowsiness and general malaise
  • tearing and the first signs of allergies
  • darkening in the eyes
  • cramps and numbness of the limbs
  • temperature rise and pressure surges

If you notice the first symptoms, you will immediately apply for medical care because the consequences can be fatal.

Before the paramedics arrive:

  • throw away the flowers, use water or a solution of potassium permanganate to induce a gag reflex and clear the stomach;
  • drink any sorbent ( Activated carbon, sorbex) preparation for cleansing the body from the inside;
  • put an enema until the full exit of clean water.

The smell of the forest dweller is fresh, with a tart aftertaste, with a barely noticeable note of tenderness. It goes well with jasmine, lily and wild roses.

In the forest, due to the strong aroma, it is easy to find, it usually grows in groups or entire clearings.

Lily of the valley care

Lily of the valley adapts well to any weather conditions. But it does not tolerate drafts and direct sunlight.

At home, planting a flower is very simple. Planting lilies of the valley can be done using their own berries or by dividing the rhizome. Actively uses the artificial breeding of new varieties.

The downside is low frost resistance and late flowering. In the first case after 6 years, in the second case after 3 years.

by the most the best period for planting there is mid-autumn. The land is prepared in advance, fertilizers can be used. Each hostess plants in her own way, but in in general terms you need to plant each flower at a distance of 10-15 cm, 15 cm deep into the ground and sprinkle with light earth 1-2 cm.

Pour water thoroughly room temperature. In winter, cover with any material to keep warm. Planting can also be done in the spring, but such a flower will be painful and will not bloom this season.

They do not need care. All you need to do is maintain moisture, remove weeds and loosen the ground around from time to time.

Lilies of the valley are very aggressive plants, in the general bouquet it displaces and leads to rapid fading, death of other flowers.

fertilizers

  • The first fertilizer is carried out at planting, you can use egg shells;
  • Second, 30 days after planting, good rotted organic matter is introduced;
  • At 2 and 3 years of age, organic fertilizers with a small amount of nitrogen;
  • Later, every June, feed for growth and growth.

photo of lily of the valley

The arrival of spring brings not only good mood but also the sun that shines and the first flowers. When spring comes into full possession, lilies of the valley appear. Now on any site you can find what a lily of the valley looks like. It is not only perfect in its appearance, but also in the smell that reminds of spring and even from it can suddenly make you dizzy.

Description of the lily of the valley flower

Lilies of the valley, called Convallaria majalis, are herbaceous plants. This is determined primarily by its structure. Stems (soft, resistant). They die off as soon as the flower stops blooming.

Bells. They have a specific, but very aromatic smell. Usually on one stem they can be counted from 6 to 20 pieces. The color may be white or white-pink.

Lilies of the valley can be found in forests. But if you look at it appearance, for example, in the photo, it always seems that this flower is delicate, defenseless, and requires constant care. But it's not.

Lily of the valley - very strong flower, which easily takes root, multiplies rapidly, and even captures the territory for its reproduction. drops temperature regime also do not fear him.

Recently, new types of lily of the valley have appeared, where bells can have a purple-red color or flowers look like double ones. But so far we see such flowers only in the photo. There is one more modern look: it has leaves painted with yellow stripes.

Lily of the valley begins to bloom in May, and this flowering lasts about 20-25 days. When the flowers have already faded, then on the stem tiny berries will appear, which then, in the fall, will turn red. Rodents and birds adore these berries, considering them as a kind of delicacy.

In any flower bed, the lily of the valley will look very beautiful even without flowering, as the leaves of this flower plant big and beautiful. This can be seen if you consider the lily of the valley flower in the photo. In general, the leaves of the lily of the valley are somewhat reminiscent of the ears of a fallow deer, hence the people got their another name “lily of the valley”.

Varieties of lily of the valley

If you turn to botanists for help, they will affirmatively say that so far only one type of lily of the valley has been bred. And all those flowers that can be seen, for example, in the photo, are just its variety.

But such subspecies are undoubtedly different different characteristics : the shape of the leaves, color and even the size of the bell.

The following types of lilies of the valley are considered the most common in Russia:

  1. May.
  2. Transcaucasian.
  3. Keyskey.
  4. Silver.
  5. Pink.

Variety of lily of the valley flowers





All these types are active used in medicine for the treatment of many diseases. So, the May lily of the valley was bred in the 18th century, and almost immediately its description appeared in magazines.

And then in 1737 he received such a name. The name of the flower comes from the Latin language and literally means "lily of the valleys".

Unfortunately, today this subspecies of lily of the valley is considered very rare and even listed in the Red Book. There is a belief that where such a flower settles, it quickly occupies the entire territory, but as soon as you pick at least one of them, the entire flowering area immediately dies.

The thing is that the forests are getting smaller and the lily of the valley somehow disappears on its own. But people lose such beauty! To be convinced of this, it is enough to look at photos of lily of the valley flowers, which usually adorn many sites on the Internet.

But not only deforestation has led to such a state of lily of the valley in our country. This, of course, is also the result of the fact that a person collected it for a very long time as medicinal plants, but at the same time did not give anything in return (planting, care).

Lilies of the valley in home gardens and flower beds

It is very easy to grow a white lily of the valley in a flower bed or in flower beds, because it does not require any special care. Just for starters, so that the flower "takes root", need to choose a place which suits him perfectly.

For example, one that will be hidden from the sun is best chosen somewhere under the trees. If the landing is successful, and the place meets the conditions of the lily of the valley, then it will delight its owners with beauty and aroma for a very long time.

If the place where it is planted is in the shade and cool, then it will bloom for almost five weeks. At the same time, all the roots of a beautiful and fragrant flower plant usually grow together and begin to spread further, occupying the territory that is nearby.

Lilies of the valley are often used to arrange flower beds harmoniously by mixing with other plants.

How to grow lily of the valley

There are rules for both care and cultivation of lily of the valley. It is known that this flower plant lives in the same place for about 10 years. But for this it is worth taking care of the place itself, so that it is cool, and the soil is rich in organic matter.

Before planting lilies of the valley, ground needs to be prepared. And for this you need to do the following:

  • dig the soil (about 25 cm);
  • fertilize with manure, but not fresh, but such that it has already had time to rot (manure can be replaced with peat-compost).

A good time to plant such a plant is autumn or early spring. As soon as the flower is in the ground, it follows it water heavily until he is accepted.

Now a few words about the reproduction of a fragrant plant. There are two ways to propagate lily of the valley:

  • Seeds.
  • Rhizome (division).

If a flower propagates with the help of a rhizome, then it stands from the roots cut off small pieces 6-8 cm. But you need to choose those where there are kidneys that will rush up.

When such roots sink into the ground, it is worth making sure that they do not bend. It should also be looked at so that the sprouts are on the surface, and the distance between them is at least 8 cm.

When propagating by seeds, you should be aware that no harvest should be expected in the first year. This is the time the plant spends on rooting deeper into the ground. But already in the second spring, leaves will appear, but only they will not open, but will be tightly pulled together.

And the stronger the top of the lily of the valley rises, the more these leaves will open. The more the first leaf is opened, the faster the second will appear.

At the same time, in the second spring, the rhizome begins to grow, becoming more and more thick and occupying more and more territory.

Medicinal properties

It should always be remembered that lilies of the valley are great drug but only in reasonable hands. If a person does not know how to handle this plant, then it immediately turns into a poisonous drug.

Before using this wonderful remedy for treatment, it is necessary to study what healing properties it has.

It is known that this plant began to be used in medical purposes back in 1861. The first doctor who used it was S. P. Botkin. The plant contains glucose and cardiac glycosides.

For the treatment of what diseases can this flower plant be used? In the first place will be the following diseases:

  1. Nervous system.
  2. Arrhythmia.
  3. Cardiovascular diseases.
  4. Fever.
  5. Elimination of physical stress.
  6. Rheumatism.
  7. Headache.
  8. Dropsy.
  9. Epilepsy.

If it is wrong to use decoctions, infusions and medicines from this plant, then the body will not be helped, but great damage done. If a person has kidney problems, stomach problems, or a liver disease, then medicines based on such a plant are strictly prohibited.

Lily of the valley is beautiful to look at fragrant plant which is amazing decorate any flower bed or another locality. But, having many medicinal properties This plant can also be poisonous to humans.

So never abuse medicines made on the basis of it, or used independently, without a doctor's prescription. And one more thing: always when caring for lilies of the valley, do not forget about safety precautions and always wash your hands thoroughly!

Delicate lilies of the valley have long been considered a symbol of spring. In May, wonderful flowers appear in the forests, resembling scatterings of snow-white pearls - lilies of the valley. They grow on the edges of a mixed forest, forming whole carpets of thickets. They are not only perfect for their beauty, but also have a dizzying aroma of spring.

This beautiful May flower managed to win the hearts of many nations, thanks to its bells with a delicate aroma. The broad green leaves resemble the ears of deer, which is probably where the name "landushka" comes from. This is translated from the old Polish denotes the ear of a doe.

It is also believed that the name comes from the church incense incense. When burned, it releases an aroma reminiscent of the aroma of lily of the valley.

It's perennial herbaceous plant propagated by means of a root. Its roots are not thick and creeping. Leaves in the amount of two pieces grow from the rosette and have the shape of a deer ear. Between them is a bud, from which a sprout grows and bells are formed, and then berries.

The stems are erect and die back in early summer as soon as the flowers stop blooming. On one stem, there are an average of 14 bells with delicate aroma. The color of the bells varies from white to pale pink. Lilies of the valley are very strong flowers that easily conquer new shady territories. He is not afraid of temperature fluctuations. The flowering stem itself is leafless.

Lily of the valley blooms in May and continues to delight the world about a month. After flowering, small red berries appear on the stem, which serve as a delicacy for birds living in the neighborhood. The fruit is a round red berry about 7 mm in diameter, filled with round seeds.

On the flower beds, a carpet of lily of the valley leaves looks great, but when this carpet is covered with white flowers, it seems that fairies live in some bluebells.

Exist different kinds lilies of the valley growing within Russia:

  1. Transcaucasian.
  2. May.
  3. Keyskey.
  4. Silver.
  5. Pink.

All this variety is vigorously used in medicine. Lilies of the valley quickly spread throughout Europe and won the hearts of people so much that people not only collected bouquets, but also used it in the treatment of heart and other diseases. Deforestation also led to the disappearance of flowers, and in fact the flower does not grow in the bright sun.

Lilies of the valley began to disappear from the surrounding forests, and were soon listed in the Red Book. There is such a belief that if you pick one flower from a common blooming carpet, then after some time all the others will disappear.

In order not to cut lily of the valley flowers in the forest every year, people began to grow them in their flower beds. After all, this does not require any main move, the main thing is not to dig this area. The whole secret is to choose a suitable area in the flower garden.

The best place is in the shade of trees with slightly damp soil. Pledge long flowering lilies of the valley are coolness and shade.

After a couple of years, the roots will spread so that this place will no longer be enough for flowers, and it will claim new territory.

The plant lives in one place for about 10 years, so you need to prepare a mail rich in organic matter. To do this, it is necessary to fertilize with already rotted manure and dig a flower bed to a depth of 25 cm. In such good conditions the plant will live for a very long time. After that, planting rhizomes will need to be updated so as not to lose the flower. Soil preparation should be carried out a year before transplanting lily of the valley rhizomes.

It is best to plant in September or April so that it takes root well. It is not advisable to engage in transplantation in the summer, since during the heat it can die. After planting, the rhizome should be watered intensively until the plant takes root.

There are two options for breeding lily of the valley:

  1. seed method;
  2. root method.

The second way to grow faster and more convenient. To do this, the rhizome is dug up and cut into pieces about 10 cm long. The main thing is that there should be a growth bud on this segment. Fold the cut pieces of rhizomes into pre-dug grooves to a depth of about 3 cm and dig in with earth without trampling it.

Do not plant sprouts too close to each other at the very beginning, because due to the density, new shoots can be affected by gray rot.

When propagated by seeds, sprouts will appear only in the second year, if the seeds are not collected by birds or mice. It will be tightly tied leaves and no flowering. In the second spring, the rhizome will grow and only in the third year will flowers appear.

Caring for lilies of the valley is quite simple. In the summer heat, they are watered, not allowing the earth to dry out. The plant is frost-resistant and therefore it should not be covered additionally. It coexists well in flowerbeds with lungwort and ferns.

Diseases and pests

Lily of the valley can be affected by fungal diseases. It can also be exposed to nematodes and sawflies. Remove diseased plants from the flower bed and burn them not in your own area. Treat the remaining plants with special preparations sold in garden centers.

Lily of the valley is also known as a distillation plant. In order to expel the plant, in September, the rhizomes are dug up and put into storage, put in a box and sprinkled with peat. It should be stored in a cool place at a temperature of -3 to +5 degrees.

In early December, they are planted in boxes or pots in pre-prepared loose, fertile land. The bowls with planted rhizomes are placed in a room with a temperature of up to 24 degrees Celsius and watered a little. A month later, the lily of the valley begins to sprout, and in February it begins to bloom.

Lilies of the valley - medicinal properties

Since the time of Copernicus, lily of the valley has been considered an excellent medicinal plant, and thanks to this it has become a symbol of healing.

Do not forget that lilies of the valley is a medicinal plant that helps people get rid of diseases such as:

  • diseases of the nervous system;
  • arrhythmias;
  • cardiovascular diseases;
  • fever;
  • physical stress;
  • rheumatism;
  • headache.

For people with diseases of the stomach, kidneys and liver, extracts from this medicinal plant cannot be accepted. For them, it will be tantamount to taking poison. After all beautiful flower with an unforgettable aroma for a person can be poisonous. Therefore, it is impossible to make decoctions without doctor's prescriptions in any case.

If you need to collect this plant, then this cannot be done within the city limits. Since due to gasoline vapors and other chemical substances the plant will not be suitable for use in medicinal purposes. Therefore, these plants are collected in forests remote from megacities.

Harvest this plant during flowering, cutting off with scissors near the rhizome, so as not to damage it. For medicinal purposes, everything is collected: leaves, flowers, and berries. All this is collected in May, early summer, while the lilies of the valley are in bloom and the leaves are in the juice itself.

Drying is done in the shade with good ventilation. Drying is also carried out in special drying cabinets where the temperature is set to 60 degrees. Medicines can also be prepared from only plucked lily of the valley flowers.

Lily of the valley tincture

We fill any container by three quarters with plucked flowers and top up with 90% alcohol. All this is infused in a dark cool place for 3 weeks. Take 20 drops five times a day.

Lily of the valley dry flower tincture

1 tbsp dried flowers pour 200 gr. boiling water, wrap and let it brew for half an hour. Take one tablespoon every 2 hours. This drug is excellent for conjunctivitis.

In violation of the heart rhythm

Mix valerian 10 ml, lily of the valley tincture 10 ml, hawthorn extract 5 ml. and menthol 0.05 ml. applied 25 drops three times a day.

Pharmacies also sell drugs made using lily of the valley:

  • Zelenin drops;
  • various cardiotonic drugs;
  • drug "Convaflavin".

But we must remember that the lily of the valley is poisonous and its overdose threatens with poisoning. And when using drugs, you must strictly adhere to the recommendations given by the doctor.

Toning face mask

Grind 2 tablespoons of red berries, add one yolk there. Apply the resulting mask on the face, after 15 minutes it will be necessary to wash it off. warm water and wipe with a warm cloth dipped in milk. Making masks weekly, after a month and a half, fine wrinkles will be smoothed out and the complexion will noticeably improve.

  • The aroma of lilies of the valley is used in the preparation of perfumes, soaps, shampoos. It is difficult to obtain an extract from flower buds, therefore, for the perfume industry, the smell was removed chemically.
  • In Russian legends, lily of the valley flowers are called the tears of the sea princess Volkhova. She, who fell in love with the beautiful harpist Sadko, who did not reciprocate, and therefore, alone at night, shed tears of her lonely love, which by morning turned into wonderful lily of the valley flowers.
  • There are also legends that when the first mermaid fell in love, her laughter scattered like white pearls across the clearing near the lake.
  • From childhood, many people remember the fairy tale about Snow White, how she, running away from her stepmother, scattered her pearl necklace. And they turned into white lilies of the valley. And now they work as flashlights for little gnomes.
  • And also in these bells sunbeams spend the night.
  • Often made from lilies of the valley wedding bouquets- it is a symbol of untouched purity.

In order to enjoy lilies of the valley and escape from everyday difficulties, it is not necessary to go to the forest and pick flowers, breaking their ideal glades. It is better to plant them in your flower garden and admire this miracle of nature every year.

With the help of a bouquet of these flowers, you can always confess your pure love to a person and it would be nice to do this on May 1, because in France this day is celebrated as the day of lily of the valley and spring.

How to pick lilies of the valley and keep the bouquet fresh?

It is recognized by all that lilies of the valley are the most fragrant spring flowers. They are listed in the Red Book. But, finding yourself in the May forest, to be honest, hardly anyone can resist picking a bouquet.

According to experts, lilies of the valley can only be harmed by improper collection of the flower itself. To prevent the plant from dying, you should carefully pull out the flower itself without leaves from its middle and try not to damage the rhizome. Coarse forest clearings, tractor caterpillars and unharvested branches are much more harmful to the spread of this plant, unique in its beauty and aroma.

Lily of the valley tends to grow rapidly, and those gardeners who decide to grow it need to remember this. Within a few years, the plant can fill a significant part of the garden. Now among flower growers, the cultivation of terry and pink lilies of the valley has become widespread. But for most connoisseurs of the plant, a pure, white, porcelain color is closer.

You should know that the fruits of lily of the valley, which appear at the end of summer, are very poisonous. They look attractive, so it is necessary to warn children about the dangers of their use.

A bouquet of lilies of the valley usually fades quickly. In order for it to stand for as long as possible, it is advisable to fill in flowers with unsettled tap water, as is usually advised, but river or lake. You can throw a pinch into the water citric acid. Leaves should not be torn, as this spoils the plant, in addition, in a bouquet they quickly wither, turn yellow and rot.

May lily of the valley used to be found everywhere - this cute White flower, appearing in April-May on the forest edges, symbolized the onset of summer.

It was this sweet beauty of his and the very popular song of the same name that led to a mass enthusiasm for bouquets of lilies of the valley and, as a result, almost complete disappearance kind.

Currently, the flower is listed in the Red Book and protected by law.

But no one bothers to grow a lily of the valley in your area and enjoy its beauty without tearing it for a bouquet.

Appearance

aboveground shoots lilies of the valley reach a height of thirty-five centimeters. They have a very simple structure: the lower leaves at the base of the shoot, two or three large sheet oblong-elliptical shape form a basal rosette, and between them, on the root, there is a large bud, from which a peduncle emerges.

The stem with the inflorescence is cut three centimeters from the ground, leaf blades are cut off in the region of the lower films. It is forbidden to collect the root in the forest, this will lead to the death of the plant and the impossibility of subsequent reproduction by root offspring.

Drying flowers and leaves produced in dark, well-ventilated areas, spreading thin layer and without turning, or in special dryers at a temperature not exceeding 50 ° C. Dry grass should not contain browned flowers or leaves. The smell is absent, the taste is bittersweet, spicy.

Compound

The biochemical composition of the plant includes:

Lily of the valley glycosides are widely known in medical practice as cardiac agents that have a selective effect on the heart.

Indications for use

The composition of the herb makes it possible to use preparations from lily of the valley with:


Taking lily of the valley herb preparations is carried out strictly according to the doctor's prescription.

Misuse

Overdose or self-medication can cause negative manifestations:

With the first manifestations of negative symptoms, it is necessary to call ambulance, and while waiting, induce vomiting, take absorbents and give an enema!

Contraindications

Lily of the valley herb is contraindicated in:

  • diseases of the liver and kidneys, especially during the period of exacerbation;
  • digestive diseases;
  • atherosclerosis.

Growing lily of the valley

Where to find lilies of the valley?

The natural habitat of lilies of the valley are deciduous, coniferous or mixed forests.

Flowers prefer moist, organic soil. These conditions are very successfully provided by leaf or coniferous litter of forest trees, which forms the litter.

In addition, lilies of the valley love openwork shading, which is also provided by trees. Therefore, if you want to find lilies of the valley, go to the forest edges and glades.

If you found lilies of the valley in a meadow, this speaks in favor of the fact that not so long ago there was a forest or a group of trees that provided a comfortable existence for lilies of the valley.

Lilies of the valley began to disappear due to:

  1. attention from people and uncontrolled collection for bouquets;
  2. grazing at the edges of forests and, as a result, soil compaction;
  3. annual agricultural work and grass burning.

All these actions, taken together, led to the fact that the flower was listed in the Red Book.

Variety selection

They began to cultivate lilies of the valley in the 16th century and are now bred by breeders a large number of varieties that differ in a variety of shades of the bud.

Sort Rosea characterized by gentle pink bell, the number of buds on the peduncle, the color of the leaves.

Leaves at cultivars Convallaria Albostriata- large greenish with whitish stripes.

how ornamental plant lily of the valley is very popular. He found his place in the flower beds with the group perennials with a short growing season (ephemeroids and ephemera) and undersized perennials.

Landing

Soil selection

Lily of the valley is not demanding on the composition of the soil; it does not take root well only in wetlands.

It is shade-tolerant and frost-resistant. If there is a forest edge near your site, from which you can painlessly wildlife dig up a couple of specimens, then you can get a lily of the valley in this way and plant them in spring or autumn.

Transfer

When transplanting, you do not need to deepen the root by more than three centimeters, and plant plants too close to each other - this can lead to gray rot.

Creation of favorable conditions

In the future, the lily of the valley does not need complex care: timely watering, fertilizing and thinning seedlings - too much accumulation of lilies of the valley in a small area will cause it to stop blooming.

But still, it is better not to harm nature, especially since there are not so many lilies of the valley left, but to purchase seeds in a specialized store that grows lilies of the valley in artificially created conditions.

First, you need to find the most flower appropriate place: the best options will trunk circles, although content is also acceptable in flower beds, the main thing is that the soil is fertile and there is light shading from the sun.

seed propagation


While the plant is small, it needs frequent watering, organic mulch and weed control.

Lily of the valley tolerates winter well, so it does not require shelter.