Lily of the valley is native to most areas of Europe where it grows in thickets and woods. It was brought to America by European colonists and is still widely grown in the U.S. Because of its history, this could have been considered an heirloom plant. However, because it has become invasive in some areas, I would no longer recommend it for landscapes.

A better choice for American landscapes would be the native lily of the valley, which is a different species (Convallaria pseudomajalis). The native one is only found in the southern Appalachians.

This American species doesn’t spread to create a lovely ground cover effect. Instead, this forms a small clump, which isn’t nearly as attractive ea as the invasive European one. Instead, it usually occurs as individual plants and not as huge patches.

Things to know about European lily of the valley

In Europe, it has long been a garden favorite. At one time, the leaves of this plant were used as a green dye.

This plant’s slender rhizomes enable it to spread easily once it becomes established. It thrives in part shade and does especially well in rich, moist soils. This species is easy to propagate by division and from seed.

Although I don’t recommend this invasive species for outdoor gardens, a safer alternative is to grow it in pots indoors. As container plants, they bloom beautifully indoors.

That brings up another ecologically sound method of growing this plant—containers. If you grow this outdoors in containers, you can prevent it from becoming invasive if you are a vigilant gardener.

Lily of the valley is easy to grow and requires very little care. This might help explain why the plants can become invasive once they escape cultivation. It is hardy in zones three through eight.

Description of Lily of the Valley

The leaves of lily of the valley are covered with a paper-like sheath. At certain points the rhizomes produce elliptical leaves as well as flower stems.

The glossy foliage is basal and occurs in pairs. The leaves can be four to ten inches in length. Early in the fall the leaves begin to die back for the winter, which occurs somewhat earlier than many other perennials.

The long, erect, curving flower stems arise above the leaves. The flowering time for lily of the valley is typically from April through June. However, this can vary somewhat, depending on the location.

Each plant can have one to several clusters of blooms with up to ten blooms per cluster. Only ¼ inch wide, the waxy, pendant, bell-like blossoms form upright spikes.

These blooms are very richly scented. These are a good source of nectar and pollen for pollinators.

Lily of the valley blossoms are typically white. However, there are varieties with pinkish-purple blooms.

Later in the season, lily of the valley plants bear attractive orange berries, which are ¼ inch wide.