How to Grow Convallaria

Convallaria grows well in shaded areas.

Commonly called lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis is a species of rhizomatous flowering plant often cultivated in woodland-style gardens. The delicate, bell-shaped flowers appear in spring, where they nod atop 6- to 12-inch-tall stems amid whorls of fleshy, deeply ribbed foliage. Convallaria grows effortlessly and will quickly colonize a large area if left alone, but the plants look and bloom best if the rhizomes are dug up every few years and replanted in a fresh, amended bed.

Things You'll Need

• Garden trowel
• Mesh or paper bag
• Manure compost
• Soil cultivator
• 10-10-10 fertilizer
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Dig up Convallaria rhizomes for replanting after the foliage begins to die back in summer. Dig a 4-inch radius around each plant with a garden trowel. Dig down to a depth of 5 inches. Pry the rhizomes from the ground.

2. Remove all the soil stuck to the rhizomes. Dry them on a flat, shaded surface for three to six hours. Store them in a mesh or paper bag away from excessive warmth, humidity and direct light until autumn.

3. Prepare a bed for the Convallaria rhizomes around mid-October. Spread a 2-inch layer of manure compost over the planting site and work the manure compost into the bed to a depth of 6 inches using a hand-held soil cultivator.

4. Dig a 3-inch-deep planting hole for each Convallaria rhizome. Space the holes approximately 6 inches apart. Set one rhizome in each hole with the roots at the bottom and the pointed tip at the top. Cover each rhizome with 1 inch of soil.

5. Water the Convallaria rhizomes thoroughly immediately after planting them. Cover the bed with a 1-inch-thick layer of manure compost after watering to protect the rhizomes during the winter and to provide acidity to the soil.

6. Feed the Convallaria plants in early spring once they begin to sprout. Apply 10-10-10 fertilizer between the plants, taking care not to spill any on the emerging foliage. Follow the label instructions carefully when applying the fertilizer.

7. Maintain soil moisture around the Convallaria plants to a depth of 2 inches. Keep the soil moderately moist at all times. Do not allow the top 2 inches of soil to completely dry out for more than one day.

8. Cut back the foliage in summer if it begins to look untidy. Cut it off at ground level using pruning shears. Discard the pruned foliage in a green waste bin or compost heap.

9. Dig up and replant the Convallaria rhizomes in one to two years, or once the plants begin to look crowded and the blooms have significantly diminished.

Tips & Warnings

• Convallaria grows best in USDA hardiness zones 2 to 7.

• Leave Convallaria foliage intact until autumn to enjoy their golden color and brief display of showy orange berries, if desired.

References

• Cornell University; Home Gardening; Lily of the Valley
• University of Vermont; Plant and Soil Science Department; "Convallaria"; Dr. Leonard Perry
• White Flower Farm: Convallaria (Lily of the Valley)