An old belief says: a small bouquet of lilies of the valley, placed at the head of the bed, grants happy life spouses. Even a novice gardener can grow delicate lilies of the valley with a divine aroma.
Lilies of the valley are poisonous plants
All parts of the plant contain strong poisons that affect the cardiovascular and digestive systems. Even mild poisoning is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, headache and cardiac dysfunction. Moderate poisoning can be fatal.
An overdose of convallotoxin and other cardiac glycosides that lily of the valley contains causes cardiac arrest. Wear gloves when working with this plant. Be sure to explain to children that they should not play with lilies of the valley, and that they should wash their hands after collecting the bouquet. The red berries of the plant are very dangerous and may seem attractive to children.
The famous quote from Paracelsus: “Everything is poison and everything is medicine, it’s just a matter of dose”, fits the lily of the valley. Made from a plant medications for the treatment of heart diseases.
Uncontrolled use of tinctures, decoctions, drops and others medicines from lilies of the valley is very dangerous! Be sure to consult your doctor before preparing or taking preparations from this plant.
All types of lilies of the valley are herbaceous perennials with a strong root system that grows underground and gives rise to new flowers. Because of this property, lilies of the valley are considered aggressive plants that crowd out other species. When forming a flower bed, take care of limiters that will prevent lilies of the valley from growing throughout the entire area.
May lily of the valley (Convalaria majalis)
Grows in Europe, Russia, China, North America. It is found in coniferous and mixed forests, floodplains, and on mountain slopes. Like other species, it is listed in the Red Book. The collection of this plant is punishable by a fine.
May lily of the valley has two or three leaves in the shape of an oblong ellipse, a stem no more than 30 cm long and brush-shaped inflorescences of 5-20 small flowers. Garden shape The May lily of the valley is the Berlin lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis f. Berolinensis), which has more large flowers and is better suited for forcing. Varieties differ in the shape and shades of flowers and leaves, as well as the intensity of the aroma. The most common varieties for planting garden plot:
Albostriata- Very decorative variety, which are valued not only for their delicate white flowers, but also for the unusual color of the leaves - the green leaf plate is covered with cream-colored stripes. Even after the end of flowering, Albostriata lilies of the valley will delight the eye.
Aurea- a variety of lilies of the valley with yellow-green leaves.
Flore Pleno– lily of the valley with large double flowers white.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Grandiflora– a large-flowered variety, the flowers have a pleasant intense aroma.
Rosea- a variety with pink flowers, up to 14 on one peduncle.
Latifolia- distinguished by large double white flowers.
Victor Ivanovich- the result of the work of Russian breeders, differs in height - the plant grows up to 50 cm in length. The flowers are large, white, up to 19 pieces per peduncle.
Keiske Lily of the Valley (Convallaria keiskei)
Distributed in the forests of Eastern Siberia, the Far East, Kuril Islands, in Northern and Central Asia.
The flowers are white, bell-shaped, larger (up to 1 cm in diameter) than those of the May lily of the valley. It blooms later - in mid-May. Depending on the weather conditions the beginning of flowering may shift to the end of June.
Mountain lily of the valley (Convallaria montana)
Found in the mountains of the eastern United States. The plant is up to 35 cm long, the leaves are 5 cm wide, the flowers are white, bell-shaped, wider than those of the May species. Some scientists consider the mountain lily of the valley to be a subspecies of the May lily of the valley.
Transcaucasian lily of the valley (Convallaria transcaucasica)
grassy perennial, up to 30 cm in length. The flowers are white, with petals bent upward, in the shape of a wide bell. It blooms from April to June, depending on the climate. Distributed in the forests of the North Caucasus, Crimea, in the central and western parts of Transcaucasia.
Choosing a landing site
Lily of the valley - unpretentious plant. It grows best in the partial shade of trees and shrubs. Too much darkness will result in no flowering. Lily of the valley prefers moist soils, but there should be no stagnation. The soil for lilies of the valley should be light and permeable, but at the same time retain moisture. Favorable soil acidity - 5-6 Ph. The soil must be fertilized with organic matter.
Dig a border or other fence to a depth of 40 cm around the perimeter of the lily of the valley bed. This measure will prevent the spread of lilies of the valley beyond the boundaries of the area intended for them.
Soil preparation
Preparatory activities are carried out in advance, for example, in the spring if planting is planned for the fall.
If the soil in the area is acidic, then dig it up with a shovel and add lime - 200 g per 1 sq. m. m.
Clay soil lighten with sand.
Clay is added to sandy, too light soil.
Enrich the soil as follows: add humus, compost or manure at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 sq. m.; or superphosphate - 100 g per 1 sq. m., potassium sulfate - 40 g per 1 sq. m. Humus prepared from forest litter is well suited.
It is recommended to sow lupines or peas on the plot 2 months before planting lilies of the valley. The fact is that legumes enrich the soil with nitrogen. Before planting lilies of the valley, the green legumes are removed and the roots are left in the ground.
Planting lilies of the valley in autumn
Sprouts with a leaf bud and with flower bud, located on a rhizome 7-8 cm long. You can determine whether a plant has a flower bud by the diameter of the sprout, as well as by the shape of the crown. Sprouts with a flower bud are larger - over 0.6 cm in diameter. It is believed that the sharp crown of the sprout bears only leaves, while the round one has a peduncle in the bud.
Experienced gardeners It is recommended to plant lilies of the valley in the fall. In this case, the plants take root faster, get sick less, and if they have a flower bud, they bloom in the spring. Planting is carried out at the end of August - beginning of September, observing next technology:
- Make grooves in the prepared bed. There should be a distance of 25 cm between the grooves, and 10 cm between plants in a row. The depth of the groove depends on the length of the rhizome planting material.
- Take a sprout of lily of the valley and place it in the groove, but the rhizome should not bend;
- Bury the sprout to a depth of no more than 2 cm;
- Water the garden bed well.
Caring for lilies of the valley
Lilies of the valley are unpretentious and require minimal care.
Young plants need to be weeded. It is especially dangerous for lilies of the valley that have not yet matured in their proximity to plants that have a powerful root system. For example, coltsfoot, wheatgrass, whine.
In dry summers, lilies of the valley need to be watered; the rest of the time, no watering is required. Lilies of the valley are very resistant to drought; they will not die without watering, but next year will produce smaller flowers.
Fertilizing also affects flowering. Organic fertilizers(manure or compost) diluted with water can be used already in the first spring after planting. To obtain fertilizer, take fresh manure, fill it with water in a ratio of 1:5 and leave to ferment for 2 weeks. The resulting concentrate is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and watered at the roots of the flowers.
Experienced gardeners advise mulching lilies of the valley with rotted compost. This layer of mulch enriches the soil and maintains its moisture.
Mineral fertilizers applied one year after planting. Superphosphate and potassium salt work well. You can prepare an extract from superphosphate. To do this, pour 100 g of powder into 1 liter of boiling water and then boil for half an hour. The resulting concentrate is filtered and diluted with water at the rate of 100 ml per bucket of water per 1 square meter. m.
Lilies of the valley after flowering
After flowering, lilies of the valley decorate the flowerbed with their leaves. They look great as ground cover plants and blend into joint plantings with those flowers whose roots are shallow. Such flowers include, for example, jasmine and aquilegia. Ferns, astilbes, and hosts look very decorative next to lilies of the valley. These plants, like lily of the valley, love shade.
By autumn, fruits appear on lilies of the valley - red-orange berries. There are seeds inside the berries. As stated earlier, the fruits and seeds are just as poisonous as other parts of the plant.
There is no need to cover these flowers for the winter - lilies of the valley are amazingly frost-resistant.
Reproduction of lilies of the valley
Under suitable conditions, lilies of the valley grow beautifully without human intervention. If you want to plant lilies of the valley in a new flowerbed, or organize their arrangement in the old one, then you can do this in two ways:
- By dividing the rhizome. In August, rhizomes are dug up and the strongest sprouts are selected, preferably with a flower bud. For planting you need a piece of roots 8-10 cm long.
- Seeds. This method It is rarely used because lily of the valley seeds are difficult to germinate. In addition, lilies of the valley grown from seeds bloom only in the 7th year. Seeds are sown before winter immediately permanent place. Planting depth is about 2 cm. After germination, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving a distance of 15 cm between plants.
Forcing lilies of the valley for the New Year and Christmas
Only used for distillation garden varieties lilies of the valley Large-flowered forms are best suited for this purpose.
- In mid-September, dig up rhizomes and select sprouts with a flower bud. Soak the dug up rhizomes in water for 2 hours, then wrap them in sphagnum moss or a damp cloth and place them in plastic bag.
- Store the bag of lily of the valley rhizomes in the refrigerator.
- At the beginning of December, remove the rhizomes from the refrigerator and soak for a day at room temperature.
- Soak for 10 hours in warm (30 degrees) water.
- Plant the sprouts in the ground, cover with glass or film and place in a warm place.
- After pipping the sprouts, the glass or film is removed.
- When buds appear, the plant is taken to a cool place, thereby prolonging the flowering period.
After forcing, the lily of the valley rhizomes completely exhaust their supply of nutrients. Such a plant is planted in open ground not subject to, since it will not be able to form a new root system.
Diseases and pests of lilies of the valley
Planting and caring for lilies of the valley does not require much effort. Lilies of the valley are excellent plants for partial shade. The spring scent of these flowers is soothing, and the green foliage is pleasing to the eye. Plant these beautiful flowers in the fall, and in the spring, collect a delicate bouquet.
May lily of the valley and the Red Book - these two concepts have long been a single whole. People's love for the fragrant plant with small white bells collected in elegant inflorescences has brought the lily of the valley to the brink of extinction. It is believed that the appearance of lilies of the valley is a message about the arrival of summer. As a result, the plant has been placed on the alarming list of endangered species.
Taxonomy, characters and distribution
This plant belongs to the herbaceous genus. Scientists have long been trying to establish order in the taxonomy of this the only kind kind. It would seem that there is no need to restore order here - if there is only one type, then there is nowhere to restore order.
However, the problem is that this species grows in regions separated from each other by insurmountable isolating barriers.
The range of lily of the valley is extensive. These plants can be found almost throughout Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, China, and North America.
The Russian part of the range is represented by the European part, the mountainous Crimea, Transbaikalia, the southern part of the Far East, including Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.
Such a wide range of habitats creates isolation between different populations, which is the main factor in speciation. For this reason, the Transcaucasian and mountain lilies of the valley, as well as the Keiske lily of the valley (Far East), are recognized as separate species.
Short description Lily of the valley in May looks like this:
- Perennial herbaceous plant, reaching a height of 20-35 cm.
- Reproduction is sexual and vegetative. The latter is carried out due to the creeping rhizome, which upper layers soil hides pale lower leaves, ready to begin active growth as soon as the lighting in the area becomes optimal.
- Root system represented by many fibrous roots.
- Aboveground shoots are short. Their structure is simple. At the base of the shoot there are lower leaves. They are followed by 2-3 large solid oblong-elliptical basal leaves. Between them there is always a large bud on the rhizome.
- The peduncle emerges from the corner of the lower leaf. The inflorescence is a raceme consisting of 7-18 flowers facing one direction. The stem is mostly leafless, sometimes small leaves may appear under the inflorescence.
- The flowers are simple, fused-leaved, rounded-bell-shaped. The flower reaches no more than 8 mm in length and 6 mm in width. They have a delicate aroma. The color is always white, but slightly pinkish flowers are also found.
- The fruit of the lily of the valley is a spherical berry, similar to lingonberries. Inside the fruit there are two spherical seeds. The berries appear two months after flowering, that is, in June or early July.
This characteristic of lily of the valley allows them to be well identified without being confused with other plants. However, bouquets of flowers called pink lilies of the valley sometimes appear in markets. They are sold at higher price as more rare and original. However, these pink flowers have nothing in common with lilies of the valley. Most often, wintergreens are sold under the guise of lilies of the valley. If you wrap the bouquet with lily of the valley leaves, you will get a pink lily of the valley that does not exist in nature.
Places of growth
Where do lilies of the valley grow? Yes, wherever there are or most recently were broad-leaved, coniferous or mixed forests. Most lily of the valley glades can be found in mixed or deciduous forests.
The fact is that these plants love moderately moist soil rich in organic matter. In addition, they need good lighting, but with periodic shading.
All these conditions the best way combined on forest edges and clearings. If lily of the valley glades are found in a meadow where there seems to be no forest, this means that just a few years ago there were trees, shade and annually fallen leaves that formed the forest floor in which the lily of the valley rhizome grows well.
If bouquets of lilies of the valley are constantly collected in this place, cows graze and agricultural fires are held annually, then there will soon be no lilies of the valley here. They will be replaced by cereals and sedges. This is how these plants ended up in the Red Book.
Medicinal properties of the plant
Lily of the valley is a poisonous plant, and entirely. This is why it is so dangerous not to know which berries are edible and which are not. But the red lily of the valley fruit seems so tasty.
This plant contains a strong glycoside, convallatoxin. However, the presence of toxins is not a reason to refuse such medicinal plant like a lily of the valley. After all, medicines are even made from dope and belladonna.
Preparations based on lily of the valley are made from the above-ground parts of the plant. The raw materials are collected at the very beginning of flowering, when the buds are just beginning to bloom. The inflorescences are cut at a level of about 3 cm from the location of the lowest flower. Leaves need to be cut off at the level of the lower film plates. It is forbidden to uproot the entire plant at once. This will kill its rhizome, making it impossible to continue vegetative propagation.
Lily of the valley - poisonous plant, and they treat with poisons
Need to collect raw materials clean hands so as not to wash the leaves and flowers later. Water will reduce medicinal properties and provoke the appearance of putrefactive processes. Dry flowers with leaves in a ventilated area without direct access sun rays.
The composition of lily of the valley herb includes:
- flavonoids;
- alkaloids;
- cardiac glycosides;
- steroid saponins;
- coumarins;
- organic acids;
- starch;
- essential oil.
This composition allows the use of preparations from the May lily of the valley for a whole range of diseases. They are usually used to heal from:
- spasms of any origin;
- hypertension;
- liver diseases;
- cholecystitis;
- dropsy in heart failure;
- epilepsy;
- paralysis;
- headaches of a spastic nature;
- diseases thyroid gland;
- edema of any origin;
- cardiosclerosis;
- fever;
- rheumatism;
- neuroses;
- chronic insomnia,
- bronchial asthma;
- throat diseases,
- myocardial dystrophy;
- malaria.
For all these diseases, lily of the valley is used both in pure form, and in combination with other ingredients.
Contraindications and side effects
If you are not confident in your knowledge, then it is better not to undertake the collection of natural raw materials from lilies of the valley. Otherwise, your medicine may become poison.
It is necessary to use preparations from lily of the valley extremely carefully, observing all dosages of doctors.
An overdose of lily of the valley preparations causes many unpleasant consequences. These include:
- nausea;
- vomit;
- heart rhythm disturbances (mainly bradycardia);
- dizziness;
- convulsions;
- extrasystole;
- noise in ears;
- arrhythmia;
- stomach ache;
- dilated pupils;
- irresistible drowsiness and weakness;
- heart failure.
When the first signs of an overdose appear, you need to urgently rinse your stomach, drink adsorbents, and do an enema. However, all this is done before the doctor arrives. Don’t hope that everything will work out, be sure to contact us for medical care. Otherwise, treatment with lily of the valley may cost you too much.
Drugs are completely contraindicated for liver and kidney diseases, especially in the acute stage: during exacerbation of myocarditis, any diseases digestive system, endocarditis, cardio- and arteriosclerosis.
The popularity of lily of the valley is extremely high. It is grown as an ornamental plant in flower beds along with ephemeroids, ephemera and low-growing perennials. However, its popularity has the most destructive effect on those plants that live in nature. In May and early June, the real hunt for live goods traders begins for cute flowers. Lily of the valley meadows are cleared out so that seed regeneration becomes impossible, and this beautiful and so useful look gradually retreats to the most inaccessible places for humans.
May lily of the valley used to be found everywhere - this cute White flower, appearing in April-May on 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 massive craze for bouquets of lilies of the valley and, as a result, the almost complete disappearance of the species.
Currently, the flower is listed in the Red Book and is protected by law.
But no one is stopping you from growing lily of the valley in your garden and enjoying its beauty without picking it for a bouquet.
Appearance
Aboveground shoots lily of the valley reaches a height of thirty-five centimeters. They have a very simple structure: lower leaves at the base of the shoot, two or three large leaves of an 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 inflorescence is cut off three centimeters from the ground, the leaf blades are cut off in the area of the lower films. It is prohibited to collect roots in the forest; this will lead to the death of the plant and the impossibility of subsequent propagation by root shoots.
Drying flowers and leaves produced in dark, well-ventilated areas, spreading thin layer and without turning over, or in special dryers at a temperature not exceeding 50°C. Dry grass should not contain browned flowers or leaves. There is no smell, the taste is bittersweet, pungent.
Compound
The biochemical composition of the plant includes:
Lily of the valley glycosides are widely known in medical practice as cardiac drugs 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 for:
Lily of the valley herbal preparations are taken strictly as prescribed by the doctor.
Misuse
Overdose or self-medication can cause negative effects:
At the first manifestation 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 for:
- liver and kidney diseases, especially during exacerbations;
- digestive diseases;
- atherosclerosis.
Growing lily of the valley
Where to find lilies of the valley?
The natural habitat for lily of the valley is deciduous, coniferous or mixed forests.
Flowers prefer moist soil filled with organic matter. These conditions are very successfully provided by the 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 forest edges and clearings.
If you find lilies of the valley in a meadow, this suggests that not long ago there was a forest or a group of trees here that provided a comfortable existence for lilies of the valley.
Lilies of the valley began to disappear due to:
- attention from people and uncontrolled collection for bouquets;
- grazing of livestock on the edges of forests and, as a result, soil compaction;
- 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
Lily of the valley began to be cultivated back in the 16th century, and currently breeders have developed a large number of varieties, distinguished by a variety of bud shades.
Variety Rosea characterized by gentle pink bell, the number of buds on the peduncle, the color of the leaves.
leaves cultivars Convallaria Albostriata– large greenish with whitish stripes.
How ornamental plant lily of the valley is very popular. It has found its place in flowerbeds along with a group of short-season perennials (ephemeroids and ephemera) and low-growing perennials.
Landing
Soil selection
Lily of the valley is not picky about 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 safely wildlife dig up a couple of specimens, then you can get lily of the valley in this way and plant them in spring or autumn.
Transfer
When replanting, you do not need to deepen the root more than three centimeters, and plant the plants too close to each other - this can lead to the appearance of gray rot.
Creating favorable conditions
In the future, the lily of the valley requires simple care: timely watering, top dressing with fertilizers and thinning of the seedlings - too much accumulation of lilies of the valley in a small area will lead to the fact that it will stop blooming.
But still, it is better not to harm nature, especially since there are not 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 flower that is most appropriate place: the best options will tree trunk circles, although keeping it in flower beds is also acceptable, 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 weeding.
Lily of the valley tolerates winter well, so it does not require shelter.
A brief description of lily of the valley for children is outlined in this article.
Lily of the valley description
I consider lily of the valley a miracle of nature. Each individual flower is a masterpiece that can be admired and admired.
Yellowish-white bells of perfect shape on a thin green stalk, rising among rather wide, elongated leaves. It seems that touch them and they will ring thinly, gently, announcing that spring is in full swing.
The lily of the valley meadow has a wonderful aroma, incomparable to any other. A little sweet, it makes us dizzy and envelops us in a pleasant intoxication.
There are very few lilies of the valley left; they are a rare flower listed in the Red Book. Therefore, it is impossible to understand those people who make bouquets of these flowers and sell them. And those who go to the forest to enjoy the wonderful picture - a white and green fragrant clearing, often find there a bald lawn trampled by poachers.
Let's take care of this gift of nature - wonderful flower with the sweet name “lily of the valley”!
May lily of the valley description for children
May lily of the valley is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the lily family. The height of the plant is about 30 cm, it has a horizontal, thin and creeping rhizome.
Lily of the valley blooms in late May - early June, and the fruits ripen in late summer - early September. The entire plant is completely poisonous.
May lily of the valley sprouts on wet soils in mixed and deciduous forests, usually between bushes. For the winter, the plant completely hides underground from the cold, and in the spring it blooms very unusually and beautifully, but, unfortunately, it fades quite quickly. Lily of the valley flowers exude a unique and wonderful aroma. But, again, be very careful! After all, this flower is very poisonous.
With the arrival of warmth and spring, May lilies of the valley begin to break out of the ground, releasing sharp arrows. Already closer to May, a large number of small flowers appear on their stems, which look like bells of a delicate, milky white color. There is a legend that forest elves love to live in these tiny bells, and rub the flowers with moonlight at night to make them even more beautiful and whiter.
As we already mentioned, lilies of the valley do not have a long flowering period. After ten, or maximum twenty days, the flowers begin to fall off. In their place, bright, small berries appear that should not be tasted under any circumstances. After all, the berries of the May lily of the valley are also poisonous!
May lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is a herbaceous perennial plant up to 30 cm tall; other names: hare's ears, black crow, myt grass, forest tongue, silver grass. Lily of the valley is an unusually beautiful rhizomatous plant of the lily family (Liliaceae). It is valued primarily for the beauty of its small bell-shaped flowers, collected in drooping racemes and having a strong aroma.
Lilies of the valley are growing
Lilies of the valley grow in the forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part of Russia, as well as in the temperate zones of Eurasia, the Caucasus, the mountainous Crimea and North America. Prefers shady or semi-shaded areas of coniferous and mixed forests, floodplains of rivers. The most spacious thickets are seen in oak forests and massifs pine forests. Prefers rich soils. Lily of the valley is a frost-resistant plant and does not require winter shelter. Without transplantation, lilies of the valley can grow in one place for up to 10 years. Listed in the Red Book: lily of the valley needs preventive protection and rational use.Lily of the valley rhizome
The rhizome is thin, creeping, horizontal, with countless small roots. The maximum age of rhizomes is 42 years.Lily of the valley leaves
The beautiful smooth leaves of the lily of the valley have a broadly elliptical shape, the tip is pointed, colored dark green color, shiny, arcuate veins are clearly visible on the leaf blade. The trunk below is surrounded by light pink scales. The leaves are basal, on long petioles, with wide membranous sheaths at the base.Lily of the valley flowers
The inflorescences of the lily of the valley are located on a long thin leafless peduncle. The flowers are small, snow-white, strongly fragrant, collected in a one-sided, slightly drooping loose cluster. The corolla of the flower is spherical-bell-shaped, six-toothed. The color of lily of the valley petals depends on the variety, but most often the petals are white. Lily of the valley flowers are one of the first to bloom in the spring - from mid-May. Flowering duration is up to three weeks. When growing lilies of the valley in dense shade, the number of flowers may be reduced.Lily of the valley berries
After the end of the flowering period, lily of the valley fruits appear - fleshy, round, three-locular, orange-red berries with light, round-ovoid seeds; ripen in early August - September.Types of lily of the valley
Varieties of lily of the valley
The following varieties can most often be found in cultivation:Grandiflora - the variety differs from the main species in having larger flowers
Rosea – pink lily of the valley
Latifolia - a very decorative variety with double flowers
Variegata is a white lily of the valley, the variety differs from the main type in leaves, against a dark green background of which white longitudinal stripes clearly stand out.
Reproduction of lily of the valley
Most often, garden lilies of the valley are propagated vegetatively by cuttings of rhizomes in spring or autumn. A fresh shoot of the plant blooms after two years, after which there is a break in flowering for a couple of years. The seed method is used much less frequently (lily of the valley seeds are sown in the ground in the fall). Before planting lilies of the valley, the soil should be deeply cultivated and drained. During the active growing season, the soil should be constantly moistened, so watering is necessary in dry spring. Periodic fertilizing with organic fertilizers is advisable.Diseases and pests of lilies of the valley
Lily of the valley can be affected by fungal diseases. The most annoying pests are sawflies and nematodes.Use of lilies of the valley
In the garden, lilies of the valley are used for planting in flower beds along with other spring-flowering crops. Despite its apparent fragility, the lily of the valley flower is quite hardy and remains fresh in water for a long time. That is why it is often used to decorate residential premises. The strong aroma of tiny flowers can cause headaches, so the room in which the bouquet of lilies of the valley is located must be regularly ventilated. Lily of the valley is also known as a forcing plant. To force lilies of the valley, rhizomes are dug out of the ground in September and stored in boxes with peat or sand in a cool room. At the beginning of December they are planted in pots with a light nutrient substrate. Containers with planted rhizomes are brought into warm room with a temperature of 20-24 degrees and watered. After 1 month, sprouts appear, and in early February the plants begin to bloom.Lily of the valley is a medicinal plant
Lily of the Valley – medicinal plant, used in both folk and traditional medicine. As a means of strengthening and normalizing cardiovascular system, use a tincture of flowers, leaves and stems (thanks to the cardiac glycosides present in lily of the valley - convallotoxin and convalloside). Lily of the valley glycosides are unstable and do not accumulate in the body. Lily of the valley substances are used for cardiac neuroses, cardiosclerosis, heart defects and heart failure. They are often used in combination with valerian and hawthorn and other medicinal plants.IN folk medicine lily of the valley is used as a relaxant and diuretic; for heart diseases, especially tachycardia, to regulate heart rhythm; for edema, thyroid diseases, epilepsy, fever, throat diseases; externally infusion (in the form of lotions) - for eye diseases, also for rheumatism. In Great Britain, an aqueous infusion of the above-ground part of lily of the valley is a means of strengthening nervous system, cautionary infectious diseases, for headaches. Lily of the valley herb is included in the pharmacopoeias of 13 countries around the world.
Powder from the flowers is sniffed for a runny nose. In Germany, an infusion of lily of the valley flowers in wine is considered effective means with paralysis. Flowers are used for medicinal purposes in Finland and Switzerland.
Medicinal preparations from lily of the valley
Lily of the valley tincture
A transparent liquid of a greenish-brown color, with a weak, peculiar aroma and a bitter taste. Available in a concentration of 1:10 in 70% alcohol. Prescribe 15-20 drops for adults, 1-12 drops for children 2-3 times a day. Available in dark glass bottles of 25 ml. Store in a place protected from light.Dry lily of the valley concentrate
Brown powder, hygroscopic. When dissolved in water, it produces a slightly cloudy brown-yellow solution. Available in powders and tablets containing 0.1 grams. Take 1 tablet three times a day.Lily of the valley-valerian drops
Lily of the valley-valerian drops contain tincture of lily of the valley and tincture of valerian 1:1. Available in 30 ml bottles. Shelf life is about two years.Lily of the valley-valerian drops with adoniside
The drops contain tincture of lily of the valley, valerian and adonizide in a 1:1:1 ratio. Available in 30 ml bottles. Shelf life: 2 years.Lily of the valley-valerian drops with sodium bromide
Drops contain 8.5% bromide per 100 ml drops. Shelf life: 2 years.Lily of the valley and motherwort drops
The drops contain tincture of lily of the valley and tincture of motherwort in equal proportions 1:1. Available in 25 ml bottles. Shelf life: 1 year.Lily of the valley-belladonna drops with menthol
The drops contain tincture of lily of the valley 20 ml, tincture of belladonna 10 ml, menthol 0.2 grams. Shelf life: 2 years.Lily of the valley-belladonna-valerian drops with menthol
The drops contain tincture of lily of the valley 10 ml, tincture of belladonna 5 ml, tincture of valerian 10 ml, menthol 0.2 grams. Shelf life: 2 years. The pharmaceutical industry produces a number of cardiac drugs, which include lily of the valley preparations (convaflavin, convallatoxin, corglycon) and which are widely used in medicine.Lily of the valley - contraindications
Lily of the valley is a poisonous and extremely dangerous plant; treatment with its products should only be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, strictly observing the dose.In toxic doses, lily of the valley causes nausea, vomiting, sudden bradycardia, extrasystole, ventricular flutter and cardiac arrest. The use of lily of the valley substances is contraindicated in cases of severe organic changes in the heart and blood vessels, acute myocardium, endocarditis, severe cardiosclerosis and acute diseases of the liver and kidneys. Eating lily of the valley berries can cause poisoning, which in children will be accompanied by nausea, dizziness, tinnitus, increased heart rate, dilated pupils, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, drowsiness and sudden weakness. There are known critical cases after drinking the water in which lilies of the valley stood. Poisonings of ducks and geese that pecked at discarded bouquets have been recorded. But foxes and other canines can eat lily of the valley berries in large quantities without harm, using them as an anthelmintic.
