Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results


     Back to: Pathways  Main Search Page  For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Convallaria majalis

Common name: Lily Of The Valley Family: Convallariaceae
Author: L. Botanical references: 17, 200
Synonyms:  
Known Hazards: All parts of the plant are poisonous[7, 10, 19]. However, the toxic principle is very poorly absorbed when taken orally so poisoning is unlikely to occur[65]. The leaves can be a mild skin irritant[22].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia to Spain east to N.E. Asia, Greece and the Caucasus.
Habitat: Dry shady woodland, usually on calcareous soils[7, 13, 17], and especially in ash woodlands[4].
Edibility Rating (1-5): 2Medicinal Rating (1-5):3

Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Convalaria [E], Doitu-Suzu-Ran [E], European Lily Of The Valley [P], European Lily-of-the-valley [B], Inci Cicegi [E], Lelietje-van-dalen [D], Lily Of The Valley [H], Lily-Of-The-Valley [E], Lily-of-the-valley [L],
Epithets:From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
majalis = in May
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
Spain Turkey Us
Noxious, Invasive and Injurious WeedsFrom USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia , DEFRA Injurious Weeds
Listed as noxious/invasive for: USA Invasive.

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.15m by 0.3m . It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in October. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and flies. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry moist or wet soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Bog Garden, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

A wine can be prepared from the flowers, mixed with raisins[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antispasmodic Cardiotonic Diuretic Emetic Febrifuge Laxative Poultice Sedative.

Lily of the valley has a long and proven reputation in herbal medicine in the treatment of heart complaints. It contains the glycosides convallarin and convallamarin which are powerful cardiac tonics and diuretics and are also used in allopathic medicine[244]. However, because of the plants potential toxic properties it should never be used without expert advice[9].
All parts of the plant are antispasmodic, cardiotonic, strongly diuretic, emetic, febrifuge, laxative and sedative[4, 7, 9, 21, 46, 165, 222, 254]. The plant is usually harvested when in flower and can be dried for later use[4], though it is stronger acting when fresh[238]. The inflorescence is said to be the most active medicinally and is often harvested separately[4].
An infusion of the flowers and roots is a digitalis substitute (obtained from Digitalis species), though less powerful, that is especially useful in the treatment of valvula heart diseases, cardiac debility, dropsy and chronic lung problems such as emphysema[4, 222, 254]. Lily of the valley encourages the heart to beat more slowly, regularly and efficiently, at the same time it is strongly diuretic, reducing blood volume and lowering blood pressure[254]. Its effect is less cumulative than digitalis which makes it safer for elderly patients[238]. It is often prescribed combined with the fruits of Crataegus spp[238].
An ointment made from the roots is used in the treatment of burns and to prevent scar tissue[222].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Dye Essential Ground cover.

An essential oil is obtained from the flowers[46, 171]. It is used in perfumery and for snuff[238].
A green dye is obtained from the leaves in spring[13, 14, 115].
A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves in autumn[14].
Plants can be grown as a ground cover in woodland shade or in a shrubbery[200, 208].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in almost any situation, including the dense dry shade of large trees[1, 4, 24]. Prefers a position in semi-shade in a moderately fertile well-drained moist woodland soil[200, 208]. Grows well in heavy clay, sand or chalky soils[208]. Dislikes pure clay soils and boggy sites[233].
Plants are hardy to -20° c or lower[200].
A polymorphic species[200]. It is a very ornamental plant, though it can become very invasive once it is established[28]. Plants can take a couple of years to become established[208]. There are several named varieties, selected for their ornamental value[233]. The flowers are sweetly scented[245].
Lily of the valley is occasionally cultivated as a medicinal plant for herbalists and allopaths.
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].
A good bee plant[4].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, otherwise in late winter, in a cold frame[164]. Germination, particularly of stored seed can be very slow, taking 2 - 12 months or more at 15° c[164]. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be allowed to grow on undisturbed in the pot for their first year. Apply a liquid feed during the growing season to ensure that the seedlings are well fed. Divide the young plants into individual pots when they die down in late summer and grow them on in pots in a shady position in a cold frame for at least another year before planting them out into their permanent positions when they are dormant[K].
Division in September[111]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Scent

Flowers: Fresh
The flowers are sweetly scented.

Suppliers

Plants For A Future is working with the following groups to try and make these plants easily available. Parts of the proceeds will be donated to   so please mention us when ordering.

Wildwood Nurseries
Lower Manor Cottage
Thornbury
Holsworthy
Devon
EX22 7DD
Email: lorna@macace.co.uk
Phone 01409 261324 Fax 01409 261324
Distribution: UK
How to order: Direct from Wildwood by email/phone
Last Updated: March 03
Item: Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley)

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

References for convallaria majalis (a possible synonym).

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[10] Altmann. H. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus 1980 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8
A small book, reasonable but not very detailed.

[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.

[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[19] Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983 ISBN 0-600-35666-3
Not very comprehensive, but easy reading.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[22] Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods.
Not very comprehensive, it seems more or less like a copy of earlier writings with little added.

[24] Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.
Fairly good with lots of ideas about creating wildlife areas in the garden.

[28] Knight. F. P. Plants for Shade. Royal Horticultural Society. 1980 ISBN 0-900629-78-9
A small but informative booklet listing plants that can be grown in shady positions with a few cultivation details.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[115] Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.
Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

Readers Comments

Convallaria majalis

MANISH GUPTA (himalayaherb@rediffmail.com) Sun Mar 2 17:22:45 2003

We are looking for seeds of Convallaria majalis

Back to: Pathways Home page, Main Search Page  Help  Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
  Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Convallaria+majalis
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Convallaria+majalis

Creative Commons License Atribution Non commercial Share alike This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home  ::  View Cart  ::  Shipping & Returns  ::  Contact Us  ::  Privacy Policy   ::  Philosophy  ::   The Witchs Haven 

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.

Creative Commons Copyright    &  (c) 2007 Pathways   &   The Witchs Haven     Website hosting by: