What pollinates lily of the valley. Types and varieties of lilies of the valley with a photo of flowers

The onset of spring brings not only a 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 its appearance, for example, in a 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 diversity.

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:

May.
Transcaucasian.
Keyskey.
Silver.
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 Latin and means literally "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 one 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 for medical purposes as early as 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:

Nervous system.
Arrhythmia.
Cardiovascular diseases.
Fever.
Elimination of physical stress.
Rheumatism.
Headache.
Dropsy.
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 a beautiful looking, fragrant plant that is delicious decorate any flower bed or another locality. But, having many medicinal properties, this plant can be poisonous to humans.

Therefore, you should never abuse drugs made on the basis of it, or use it on your own, 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!

May lily of the valley and the Red Book - these two concepts have long been a single whole. The love of people for a 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, this plant has become firmly established on the alarming list of endangered species.

Systematics, signs and distribution

This plant belongs to the herbaceous genus. Scientists have long been trying to put things in order in the taxonomy of this single species of the genus. It would seem that there is nothing to put in place - if there is only one view, then there is nowhere to put things in 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 in almost all of Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, China, 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 Kuriles.

Such a large scatter of habitats forms isolation between different populations, which is the main factor in speciation. For this reason certain types Transcaucasian and mountain lilies of the valley, as well as Keiske lily of the valley (Far East) are recognized.

Short description May lily of the valley 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 in the upper layers of the soil hides pale lower leaves, ready to begin active growth as soon as the illumination of this place becomes optimal.
The root system is represented by many fibrous roots.
Above-ground shoots are short. Their structure is simple. At the base of the shoot are lower leaves. They are followed by 2-3 large whole 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. Inflorescence - brush, 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, sessile, round-bell-shaped. In length, the flower reaches no more than 8 mm, in width - 6 mm. They have a delicate aroma. The color is always white, but slightly pinkish flowers are also found.
Lily of the valley fruits are spherical berries similar to lingonberries. Inside the fruit are two spherical seeds. Berries appear two months after flowering, that is, in June or early July.

This characteristic of the 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 the markets. They are sold at a higher price as more rare and original. However, these pink flowers have nothing to do with lilies of the valley. Wintergreens are most often sold under the guise of lilies of the valley. If at the same time wrap a bunch of lily of the valley leaves, you 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 is or most recently were broad-leaved, coniferous or mixed forests. Most lily-of-the-valley meadows 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 occasional shading.

All these conditions the best way combined on forest edges and glades. If lily-of-the-valley meadows are found in a meadow where there seems to be no forest, this means that a few years ago there were trees, shade and annually falling leaves that formed the forest floor, in which the rhizome of the lily of the valley grows well.

If bouquets of lilies of the valley are constantly collected at this place, cows graze and agricultural burnings are held annually, then lilies of the valley will soon disappear here. Grasses and sedges will come in their place. So these plants got into the Red Book.

The medicinal properties of the plant

Lily of the valley is a poisonous plant, and completely. That is why it is so dangerous not to know which berries are edible and which are not. But the red fruit of the lily of the valley seems so tasty.

This plant contains a strong glycoside convallatoxin. However, the presence of toxins is no reason to refuse such medicinal plant like lily of the valley. After all, drugs are made even from dope and belladonna.

Preparations based on May lily of the valley are made from the ground parts of the plant. Raw materials are harvested at the very beginning of flowering, when the buds are just beginning to bloom. Inflorescences are cut at a level of about 3 cm from the location of the lowest flower. The leaves must be cut at the level of the lower film plates. It is forbidden to pull out the whole plant at once with the root. This will kill its rhizome, making it impossible to continue vegetative reproduction.

Lily of the valley is a poisonous plant, and poisons are treated

You need to collect raw materials with clean hands so that you do not 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 access to direct sunlight.

Lily of the valley contains:

flavonoids;
alkaloids;
cardiac glycosides;
steroidal saponins;
coumarins;
organic acids;
starch;
essential oil.

This composition allows the use of preparations from May lily of the valley for a whole range of diseases. They are commonly used to treat:

spasms of any origin;
hypertension;
liver diseases;
cholecystitis;
dropsy in heart failure;
epilepsy;
paralysis;
spastic headaches;
thyroid diseases;
edema of any origin;
cardiosclerosis;
fever;
rheumatism;
neuroses;
chronic insomnia,
bronchial asthma;
throat diseases,
myocardial dystrophy;
malaria.

With 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 take on the collection of natural raw materials from lilies of the valley. Otherwise, your medicine may become a poison.

Lily of the valley preparations should be used with extreme caution, observing all the dosages of doctors.

An overdose of drugs from lily of the valley causes many unpleasant consequences. These include:

nausea;
vomit;
violation of the heart rhythm (mainly bradycardia);
dizziness;
convulsions;
extrasystole;
noise in ears;
arrhythmia;
stomach ache;
pupil dilation;
irresistible drowsiness and weakness;
heart failure.

When the first signs of an overdose appear, it is urgent to rinse the stomach, drink adsorbents, and make an enema. However, all this is done before the arrival of the doctor. Do not hope that everything will work out, be sure to seek medical help. Otherwise, lily of the valley treatment may cost you too much.

Drugs are completely contraindicated in diseases of the liver and kidneys, especially in the acute stage: with 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 flowerbeds along with ephimeroides, ephimers and undersized perennials. However, its popularity affects those plants that live in nature in the most destructive way. In May-beginning of June, a real hunt of traders in live goods begins for cute flowers. Lily-of-the-valley glades are cleaned so that seed renewal becomes impossible, and this beautiful and so useful view gradually retreats to the most inaccessible places for humans.

May lily of the valley- Convallaria majalis L. is a perennial herbaceous plant from the lily-of-the-valley family (Convallariaceae) with a horizontal thin rhizome. The aerial part of the plant, up to 30 cm high, consists of 2-3 basal leaves and a leafless trihedral flower arrow emerging from the axil of the innermost leaf.
The leaves are bright green, oblong-elliptical, up to 20 cm long and up to 8 cm wide. Their elongated sheaths are located inside each other so that a stem-like formation is obtained. His name is "false stem".
The flower arrow ends with a one-sided loose inflorescence-brush of 6-20 flowers. The flowers are fragrant, very beautiful, suspended on arched pedicels. Perianth simple, corolla-shaped, white, bell-shaped, with 6 teeth bent outward at the top. Stamens 6. Pistil with upper ovary. Blossoms in April - June, fruits ripen in August - September. The fruit is a globular red-orange berry with light rounded ovoid seeds.
Plants grown from seeds bloom in the seventh year of life. In addition to seeds, the lily of the valley has a well-defined vegetative reproduction with the help of rhizomes, so it often forms thickets.

lily of the valley spread

May lily of the valley is common in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere: in Eurasia and North America. Common in many parts of European Russia and Siberia. In the Far East, there is a close lily-of-the-valley species Keiske (Convallaria keiskei Miq.), which is considered by many taxonomists as a variety of May lily of the valley. Lily of the valley - a forest plant, grows in light forests, forest ravines, on the edges and glades, and there is no such person who would indifferently pass by these beautiful and fragrant flowers.
Lily of the valley introduced into the culture as ornamental plant back in the 16th century. For cultivation in flower beds garden large-flowered forms, varieties with pink and double flowers, as well as with variegated yellow-green leaves.

Economic use of lily of the valley

Lily of the valley is a wonderful ornamental plant. Its flowers are distinguished by their exquisite shape and color, have a unique strong smell. Mostly wild-growing lily of the valley is harvested for bouquets, which causes significant damage to its natural populations. Lily of the valley flowers are a valuable raw material for the perfume industry. By distilling fresh flowers, perfumers obtain essential oil, which is used to make original perfumes.
But especially a lot of lily of the valley is collected for pharmaceutical needs. More often the grass is used whole with flowers and leaves.

Features of the preparation of medicinal raw materials of lily of the valley

The aerial part of the lily of the valley is collected during the budding and flowering of plants. It is cut with a knife, scissors or a sickle 3-5 cm from the soil surface. Plants need to be cut, and not plucked, since even with careful plucking, the buds on the rhizomes are inevitably damaged, and vegetative renewal and reproduction in lily of the valley has great importance to conserve vegetation.
For the preparation of various galenic medicines, three types of lily of the valley raw materials are used: grass, leaves separately and flowers separately (more precisely, inflorescences along with the upper part of the flower arrow). When harvesting, you need to immediately decide what type of raw material is needed. If you need leaves and flowers separately, then fresh raw materials are disassembled in parts before drying and dried separately. If it is supposed to use grass, then the entire harvested mass is dried together.
For drying, the lily of the valley raw materials are laid out on a clean bedding in a thin layer. Dry in ventilated areas (often in living rooms), trying to carefully turn the raw material daily, as it easily blackens and loses its presentation. Drying in the sun is completely unacceptable, since the sun's rays destroy the cardiac glycosides contained in the lily of the valley.
Dry flowers and leaves of lily of the valley can be stored in a dry place for 2 years. Fresh grass can also be used, but it cannot be stored for a long time without preservation with alcohol.

Medicinal value of lily of the valley and methods of therapeutic use

Lily of the valley has long been used in folk medicine different peoples. For the introduction of any drug into scientific medical practice, theoretical developments and their practical confirmation are necessary. And here in late XIX century in Russia by studying medicinal properties lily of the valley was first taken up by N. P. Bogoyavlensky in the clinic of the famous Russian doctor S. P. Botkin. Since that time, lily of the valley medicines have been used in scientific medicine. They are included in the State Pharmacopoeia of Russia and a number of other countries.
Lily of the valley is a universal favorite among many peoples, he was revered as a symbol of spring, joy, fidelity, tenderness, the most beautiful human feelings. dedicated to him poetic works, about him composed fairy tales and legends.
The flower symbolized belonging to the medical class. Many pictorial and engraved portraits of the 16th-18th centuries have survived, depicting doctors with a lily of the valley flower in their hand. Among them are portraits of the great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who was also an excellent medical practitioner.
Lily of the valley preparations are used to treat various heart diseases. The active ingredients are cardiac glycosides: convallatoxin, convallazid, etc. Lily of the valley glycosides normalize the activity of the heart and blood circulation, have a general calming effect.
Many dosage forms from lily of the valley raw materials, starting with ampoule solutions and ending with simple galenic medicines. They are prescribed for neuroses, heart defects, cardiosclerosis, heart failure, tachycardia, etc. Preparations from lily of the valley reduce and at the same time increase heart contractions, increase urination. In patients, shortness of breath decreases, pain disappears, cyanosis and swelling disappear. Lily of the valley extracts - component many well-known medicines: valocormide, Zelenin drops and others that act directly on the heart.

Care is required in dosage and accuracy in indications, therefore any self-medication is fraught with a serious danger to the health (and to life itself) of the patient.
The raw materials of the Far Eastern lily of the valley Keiske are used for the production of heart medicines on a par with the raw materials of the May lily of the valley. But from the aerial part (grass) of this plant, the original independent drug convaflavin was also obtained, which is the sum of flavonoids in tablets. It has a choleretic and antispasmodic effect and is prescribed for diseases of the liver and biliary tract.
The Latin name for lily of the valley is valley lily. In Rus', the lily of the valley was called: shirt, lily, mytnaya grass, hare ears, bath, smooth, raven.
In Rus', lily of the valley has always been popular medicine. They wrote about his tincture: "it is more expensive to eat gold and is worthy of all ailments."
Lily of the valley was used for heart disease, epilepsy, dropsy, and eye diseases.
In an old herbalist we read:
“There is bitter grass, it grows in dark dense forests with a leaf on the side, among them the color is white, a span is tall. Pound and drink with herb nettle or mint or buttercups from a mortal hernia, if your eyes hurt.

An infusion was prepared at home at the rate of 2-6 g of flowers per 1 glass of water and taken 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.

In England, an infusion of lily of the valley flowers on water called "golden water" long time used for nervous disorders and headaches. This name came from the fact that they sold the infusion in gilded or silver-plated bottles,
In countries Western Europe with paralysis effective tool Hartmann's water was considered. For its preparation, lily of the valley flowers were collected before sunrise, while they were still covered with dew. With a runny nose and headache, "Schneeber snuff" was used, consisting of a fine powder of lily of the valley and a powder of chestnut seeds. In Bulgaria, lily of the valley is used for cardiac neurosis in women in old age, for muscle inflammation, physical overwork, and also for diseases involving the heart. Baths for rheumatism are made from a decoction of lily of the valley.
In the old German herbalists, lily of the valley flowers infused with wine were also recommended for paralysis. Lily of the valley is a long-standing remedy for epilepsy.

Lily-of-the-valley water (the recipe was described at the beginning of the 18th century).
Take lily of the valley, insist on white wine, strain and take 1 teaspoon once or twice, as needed. It returns speech to the tongue-tied, heals gout, relieves heartache and strengthens memory. L put the color in a glass bowl, squeeze it tightly, stick it in the anthill and leave it for a month, then take it out; then you will see that the flowers have released juice, and store it in a vial; useful for both sick and healthy men, as well as women.
For angina pectoris and cardiosclerosis, lily of the valley flowers are tightly crushed into a half-liter bottle to half. Top up with alcohol or vodka. Bury for 10 days in the ground. Take 5 to 15 drops, in ascending order, adding drops daily.

Contraindications
Although lily of the valley preparations are not cumulative, overdose is dangerous, as with other cardiac remedies. In case of an overdose, extrasystole, heart rhythm disturbances, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, tinnitus and other signs of poisoning are possible. Gastric lavage in this case is one of the first aid methods.
By the way, a carelessly thrown bouquet of lily of the valley can cause poisoning of farm animals.
It is undesirable to use lily of the valley preparations for gastritis and acute diseases of the liver and kidneys. Corglicon is contraindicated in organic changes in the heart and blood vessels, in acute myocarditis, endocarditis, and in severe cardiosclerosis.
Lily of the valley is ruled by Mercury and is healing for Gemini and Virgo.

Lily of the valley is perhaps one of the most romantic medicinal plants. This is a plant with fairly large, noticeable and, most importantly, fragrant flowers. In addition, the name of this plant is given by the time when it blooms.

There are many legends about the origin of the lily of the valley, or rather about its flowers. For example, a peculiar explanation is given in the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm about Snow White. We are used to reading it in an abbreviated version, however, the authors of the heroine Snow White, running away from her evil stepmother, lose her pearl necklace in the forest. And it was from these little pearls that lily of the valley flowers originated.

In its flowers, the elves hid from the rain, and the same flowers served as lanterns for the gnomes. This flower was not ignored by the ancient Romans. For example, there is a legend about the goddess Diana - this is the goddess of hunting, who once, having got into a forest unfamiliar to her, ran away from the fauns, and the sweat droplets that formed on her body fell to the ground and turned into white fragrant flowers.

May lily of the valley blooms at the end of May for 10-20 days, grows in deciduous forests, on forest edges, glades, along the banks of streams and rivers. Lily of the valley is a poisonous plant, berries are especially toxic.

These wonderful flowers were loved by many famous figures of science and art. For example, Sofya Kovalevskaya and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky were very fond of lilies of the valley. Tchaikovsky even dedicated poems to them. Everyone knows him as a brilliant composer, but few people know that he was also a poet. By purchasing your own house in Klin, Pyotr Ilyich immediately planted lilies of the valley all over the place. Lilies of the valley grow rapidly and occupy the entire area allotted to them. Therefore, when you come for an excursion to the house-museum of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Klin, you will see that you are met by lilies of the valley.

And this delicate and fragrant flower is also called “tears mother of god". It is believed that the tears of the Virgin, which she shed for her son, turned into these flowers.

In many old books you can find a portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus, where he is depicted with a bouquet of lilies of the valley in his hands. It would seem, what do these delicate romantic flowers have to do with the great astronomer. The fact is that for his contemporaries Copernicus was not so much an astronomer as a specialist in law and a very good doctor. And lilies of the valley at that time were considered a symbol of medicine.

Many nations are very sensitive and attentive to this plant. For example, in France every year on the first weekend of May there is a lily of the valley festival. And in Finland, this plant is considered almost a symbol of the state.

The Russian people gave many names to this plant. And as it usually happens, all these names correspond to some external features of this plant. For example, there is such a popular name as “hare ears”. Indeed, the lily of the valley forms two leaves in the shape of a bit reminiscent of hare ears. It was also called the “forest language” for the shape of the leaf blade, which is a bit like a tongue in shape. And the lily of the valley was also called “silver” for its surprisingly delicate and seemingly silver flowers.

The great Swedish botanist Carl Liney named the lily of the valley Lilium convallium, which means "lily of the valleys". Indeed, lilies of the valley originally belonged to the lily family, after which they were allocated to the Lily of the valley family, into a separate independent family. Now taxonomists claim that lilies of the valley belong to the needle family.

One single species belongs to the genus lily of the valley - May lily of the valley, although, again, many experts argue that these are several closely related subspecies. One of them lives in the Far East, the other in the Caucasus. But they are so close to each other externally that they practically do not differ. Is there some more garden molds, or varieties of lily of the valley, which differ not only in the size of the flowers, but even in their color.

Lilies of the valley grow abundantly throughout the northern hemisphere. They are found both in Eurasia and North America. This plant is shade-tolerant and is very often found in coniferous forests, in particular pine forests, and in mixed forests. But most of all landweeds are in broad-leaved forests.

Lily of the valley is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 30 cm high. This plant forms a fairly powerful underground rhizome shoot. The rhizome can be quite long, but it will not be thicker than the base of a goose feather. Lilies of the valley thus multiply and spread. And in fact, the entire curtain of lilies of the valley can be one single organism that is connected to each other through these same underground rhizomes. Small thin roots are formed on these rhizomes, and buds are formed on them, from which above-ground shoots grow. That is why, if you harvest lilies of the valley as medical raw materials, they cannot be pulled out of the soil. They must be cut with a knife or scissors so as not to damage these rhizomes.

In the spring, as soon as the snow melts and the soil begins to warm up, tightly-tightly twisted lily-of-the-valley leaves come out of the ground. They form a powerful structure that, like a needle, pierces everything that is on the surface. And very often you can see that dry leaves of another plant are put on the shoot. These are leaves that the shoot simply pierced like a needle when it climbed to the surface. Most often, two leaves are formed in the lily of the valley, which is why the people call it “hare ears”, sometimes three leaves, but much less often. Lily of the valley leaves are broadly lanceolate and pointed at the end. Its leaves have different colors: they are matte on top, and more shiny below. The venation of the leaves is arcuate. This means that the veins are vessels along which they move nutrients and water flows to the leaves, arranged parallel to each other from the lowest part of the leaf to the very top. This is a sign of a plant that belongs to monocots - these plants have one cotyledon in the seed. The leaves are located on a fairly long petiole and wrap around it like thin tubes: that is, they are nested one inside the other. Such leaves are called enclosing. At the base closer to the ground, and most often hidden by litter and upper layers soil, there are small translucent leaves. They are almost colorless and more like scales. A flowering stem emerges from the middle of this structure.

The flowering stem of the lily of the valley is quite long and usually raises the entire inflorescence above the leaves. The stem is trihedral, not leafy, that is, naked. It may have scaly translucent leaves, but most often they are not. At its top is the inflorescence itself. Such an inflorescence is called a drooping brush - all the flowers in this inflorescence are tilted to one side.

The lily of the valley flower itself is not very large and usually its size does not exceed 8 mm. The flower consists of six fused petals forming a bell. In the middle there are six stamens, each of which carries pollen, and in the center is a pistil. It is from it that the fruit of the lily of the valley is subsequently formed.

The fruit of the lily of the valley is a brightly colored reddish-orange berry about 5–8 mm in size. These berries are poisonous and should not be eaten. However, some predatory mammals of the canine family, such as, for example, wolves and foxes, can eat these berries without any visible harm to themselves.

The use of lily of the valley in medicine

In the days of Copernicus, the lily of the valley was considered a symbol of medicine for a reason. Back in those days, people were well aware that even poisonous plants can be used in medicine. Despite the fact that the substances contained in the lily of the valley are highly toxic, they began to be used even then.

In medicine, the aerial parts of this plant are used: it is a stem with leaves and flowering shoots. All aerial parts of the May lily of the valley contain a huge amount of cardiac glucosides. That is why preparations based on lily of the valley are most often used for cardiovascular diseases.

The same plant contains starch, sugar and some organic acids, such as malic and citric acids. In addition, all parts of the lily of the valley contain high amounts of saponins.

May lily of the valley is recognized as the official pharmacology of thirteen countries of the world. This is a little and this is due, first of all, to the fact that lily of the valley preparations are very potent. In addition, they contain many toxic substances. In particular, it is an alkaloid called “convallatoxin”. Lily of the valley herb, lily of the valley leaves and lily of the valley flowers are used in medicine. Most often, this is the whole plant entirely collected during the flowering period.

Substances derived from lily of the valley underlie most cardiotonic drugs, as well as drugs used as a choleretic agent for cholecystitis. Lily of the valley preparations contain a large amount of glycosides, which can increase strength and reduce heart rate. That is why they are most often used for heart failure, tachycardia, as well as for acute chronic circulatory failure of the second and third types.

In folk medicine, lily of the valley has traditionally been used in combination with valerian and hawthorn. It was used in the same way as in official medicine for diseases of cardio-vascular system, as well as edema, thyroid disease and even epilepsy.

Collection and preparation of lily of the valley

Gather medicinal plants in the city is not recommended, because in these conditions, in addition to useful substances can accumulate and harmful. If you decide to stock up on this plant, then it is better to move somewhere far away from large cities and produce blanks there.

For medical purposes, it is best to harvest lily of the valley raw materials during the flowering period - this is May - June. Again, this will depend on which forest you collect your raw materials from. In more dark woods lilies of the valley will bloom a little later. When you prepare raw materials for drying, you need to cut it with scissors or a knife at a height of 3-5 cm from the ground. This is done, first of all, in order not to damage the rhizome, which is in the soil. Lily of the valley, like any rhizomatous plant, spreads and multiplies mainly in this way. And a damaged rhizome can cause great harm to the plant. Therefore, it should not be pulled out or pulled out.

The cut plant must be dried on the day of harvest. It is necessary to dry the lily of the valley on the same day, because when withering, many of the substances that make up its composition begin to gradually break down and the strength of the drug will be much weaker. Lily of the valley is usually dried in dryers at a temperature of 40 - 50 ° C. Previously, when there were no dryers, it was dried on special mesh pallets that were hung over the ovens. At the same time, all windows and doors were opened in the room in order to create a draft and ventilate the room well. During drying, the raw material is turned over once or twice.

Finished raw materials should break easily in the hands. The time when this raw material can be used is approximately two years. If you harvest flowers separately, then this is only one year.

You also need to remember that the harvesting of raw materials should be done in dry weather and after the dew has dried.

Lily of the valley is a very poisonous plant, so when drying, make sure that its particles do not get into any other herbs you harvest. Because it can lead to very unpleasant consequences.

Preparation of infusion of lily of the valley

And, again, due to the fact that the plant is poisonous, in this article we will not give a single recipe regarding internal use lily of the valley preparations. But we will write about external use.

In folk medicine, an aqueous infusion of lily of the valley shoots is traditionally used externally. It is used for diseases of the eyes and joints.

To prepare the infusion, you need to take one tablespoon of dried lily of the valley shoots and pour them with a glass of boiling water. Let it brew for several hours, then squeeze it out and bring it to its original volume with water. This infusion is impregnated with gauze napkins, which are applied to diseased joints. Let's hope that this recipe will help you, and will not lead to any negative consequences.

Ways to use lily of the valley

The ways of using May lily of the valley are very diverse and it is simply impossible to list them all. For example, in Asian countries, the rhizome of the lily of the valley is used, and the lily of the valley itself practically does not grow there. Therefore, it is harvested in our country and in some other European countries, dried and sent to Asia. Thus, the rhizome of the lily of the valley is an export item. In some states, lily-of-the-valley flowers are collected and dried separately, crushed into a fine powder and sniffed with a cold. And in Germany, they prepare a tincture of lily of the valley shoots on wine and use it for paralysis.

Lily of the valley is poisonous!!!

It is necessary to remind once again that the entire lily of the valley plant is poisonous. Be especially careful if you are walking with your children through the forest, especially in the second half of summer. Because for a small child, two or three lily of the valley berries can be a lethal dose.

Poisoning can be determined by the following signs: severe nausea, headaches, abdominal cramps, darkening of the eyes. All of these signs may be signs of lily of the valley poisoning. The plant is so toxic that even drunk water, in which there was a bouquet of lilies of the valley, can be fatal.

The use of lily of the valley in gardening

It must be said that nowadays Everyday life lily of the valley is not so much a medicinal as an ornamental plant. More and more often they are planted in gardens and orchards. Many have already been cultivars lilies of the valley. Among them there are plants with enlarged flowers, and with double flowers, and even with a pinkish color of the corolla. But the most interesting are varieties with variegated leaves.

Lily of the valley is a shade-loving plant, so it is better to plant it in shaded areas of the garden. You can even plant a lily of the valley under a canopy of shrubs that bloom late. It is better to prepare the soil for lilies of the valley in advance. In principle, they endure both sandy and clay soil, nose big amount humus. Therefore, at the place where you are going to plant lilies of the valley, a year before planting, pour out a wheelbarrow of last year's foliage and by the time you transfer the rhizome there, the soil will be completely ready. It is best to transplant the plant in autumn or in early spring before the leaves are fully developed. For transplanting, take relatively long sections of rhizome with buds and transfer them to the prepared soil. Deepen 3 - 4 cm and leave. After 2 - 3 years, you will have wonderful silvery flowers in this place.

Lily of the valley in the USSR

The aroma of lily of the valley is very strong and very pleasant. And, for sure, many remember that in Soviet time was popular cologne and toilet water with the scent of lily of the valley, which was called “silver lily of the valley”. But, that in toilet water, that in cologne, not the natural smell of lily of the valley was used, but its chemical essence was used. The thing is that it is much easier and cheaper to obtain, and it turns out to be more resistant than a natural fragrance. And the natural aroma of these flowers is used only in expensive perfumes - in perfumes.

Lily of the valley in the Red Book

Lily of the valley belongs to the group of protected plants. It is even listed in the red books of some regions of Russia. main reason in that the plant is abundantly destroyed during the collection of flowers in the spring or during the collection of medicinal raw materials. But those flowers that are sold in passages or on the streets are most often collected not somewhere in the countryside, but are grown in special farms.

Forcing lilies of the valley

The process of growing plants in order to produce flowers is called forcing. Special greenhouses are built for distillation. For forcing lilies of the valley, the height of the greenhouses should not exceed 40 cm. In autumn, rhizomes with powerful rounded buds are taken and planted in special pots filled with peat. The pots are covered with moss on the outside and on top. Most often it is sphagnum moss. The pots are placed in a greenhouse where the temperature is kept around 35 °C. Under these conditions and constant watering, after about 3 to 5 weeks, lilies of the valley begin to bloom. Thus, you can get flowers literally for the new year. In Germany in the 17th century, this was done on an industrial scale and lilies of the valley were supplied to the imperial palace for the new year from there.

There is another plant that is called "garden lily of the valley." Although, apart from the name, this plant has nothing in common with lily of the valley. Unless it belongs to the same family to which the lily of the valley used to belong, that is, to the lily family. This plant is called Kupena forest.

Lily of the valley is a wonderful plant in every way. But it is better to use it as an ornamental plant and remember that its poisonous properties are very strong. Lily of the valley on your site will delight you for many years, and possibly even your children and grandchildren. Whereas it is necessary to use lily of the valley medicines with extreme caution and it is better after consulting a doctor.

In May, spring fully comes into its own, gardens and forests are covered with greenery, and the air is filled with a fresh, exciting fragrance. It blooms lily of the valley, beloved by both gardeners and wildlife enthusiasts.

grassy perennial, first described by Carl Linnaeus, today can be found in the forest, it is used to decorate garden plots and early spring forcing, and is grown as a pot crop. Thanks to breeders, more than a dozen original varieties of lily of the valley appeared at the disposal of flower growers, which are strikingly different from the wild-growing ancestor in the photo and description.

Lily of the valley classification

The first description of the lily of the valley as a genus belongs to Linnaeus. In the XVIII century, the plant was classified as a lily and received the name Lilium convalium, which means "Lily of the Valley" in Latin. Then scientists repeatedly changed the belonging of culture to one or another section of the generally accepted classification.

On this moment lilies of the valley, like other plants well known to gardeners, such as kupena, birdman and polyanthes, are part of the extensive Asparagaceae family. The modern name of the flower has also changed.

The lily of the valley today became known as Convallaria or convallaria. Among the people, the lily of the valley is also known under other names, for example, forest bell, May or forest lily, smooth, young, meadow shanks, dog tongue or hare ears.

Although botanists officially recognize only the European variety of May lily of the valley, populations growing in the north and east of Asia, as well as on the territory of the North American continent, are increasingly recognized as independent.

At the same time, differences in appearance in plants, however, the significant remoteness of habitats and the lack of communication between them are minimal - good reason to talk about the presence of three, and sometimes even four varieties of lily of the valley:

May lily of the valley (C. majalis), which lives almost everywhere on the European continent;
lily of the valley Keizke (C. keiskei), growing in the Far East, in China and Mongolia, and also found in the west of Hindustan.
mountain lily of the valley (C. montana), which occupies wooded areas in the eastern United States;
Transcaucasian lily of the valley (C. transcaucasica), growing in the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, including the territory of Turkey.

Where does lily of the valley grow

Lily of the valley is unpretentious, we have excellent adaptability, so we managed to get along in a variety of climatic zones and natural conditions. At the same time, the plant is everywhere:

exhibits high shade tolerance;
prefers nutrient-rich soils;
does not tolerate drought well.

In nature, lily of the valley can be found in deciduous and mixed, less often in pine forests. The rapid development of the aboveground part and flowering occurs at a time when the soil is still saturated with melt water, the foliage on trees and shrubs has not yet fully opened, and the grass has not risen. Under such conditions, wintering rhizomes provide the perennial with everything necessary for growth. And in a few years, in place of just a few rosettes of smooth oblong-elliptical leaves, a dense curtain appears.

Given the ability to capture new territories, in the gardens where the lily of the valley grows, the area for it must be strictly limited. Otherwise, the plant may crowd out other useful crops in a few seasons.

Despite their hardiness and adaptability, all wild-growing varieties of lily of the valley are under the threat of extermination. The reason is not only the beauty of the flowers and the strong fragrance, but also the useful properties plants. Therefore, in Russia, and in a number of European countries and in the US state of Kentucky, the species is taken under official protection.

What does a lily of the valley look like: plant description

Blooming lily of the valley is well known to many. However, a perennial herbaceous culture is not only graceful bell flowers and leathery smooth leaves.

Most of the plant, namely the branched powerful root system, hidden deep underground. Thanks to horizontal light brown rhizomes and numerous small lily-of-the-valley roots extending from them:

winters well and even when the soil freezes, it quickly recovers;
one of the first to wake up with the onset of spring warmth,
successfully propagated vegetatively.

The aerial part of the plant consists of shortened shoots and a rosette of leaves. Moreover, the lowest, undeveloped leaf plates are often located under a layer of soil. As it grows, true leaves appear. First, they are rolled into a tight tube, which gradually rises above the ground and opens. Broadly lanceolate smooth sheet plates are painted in saturated green color, have longitudinal venation and pointed tips.

When two or three leaves are fully formed, the development of a bud begins, turning into a slender flowering shoot, bearing from 6 to 20 rounded buds at once. The height of the plant depends on the species and variety. Wild plants, as a rule, are more modest than garden specimens, and European lilies of the valley, not exceeding 15–20 cm, are lower than their Asian and Transcaucasian counterparts, which grow up to 30–50 cm in height.

Since flowering occurs on buds laid in the previous season, its splendor depends on the quality of care and the growth conditions created for the lily of the valley.

In wild and many cultivated varieties, the perianths have a simple, miniature bell shape. Inside the rounded calyx, 4 to 9 mm high, there are six stamens and a short pistil.

The first lilies of the valley open on the lower part of the stem, then the turn of the middle and upper buds comes.

Depending on climatic and weather conditions, this can happen from the second decade of May to June. On average, flowering lasts from two to three weeks.

How lily of the valley reproduces

If the weather is not too hot, white fragrant bells cover the entire brush and do not fade for a long time, making it possible to form a lot of ovaries. When lilies of the valley bloom, the air is filled with an incredibly strong fragrance. It is the smell that attracts many bees and other pollinators to the flowers.

The successful work of insects leads to the appearance of rounded berries, which increase in size as they ripen and change color from green to brown, and then, by mid-summer, to bright orange or red. Inside the fruit is divided into three chambers containing 1-2 large seeds.

The berries are in no hurry to fall off and often become food for birds and rodents. Thanks to this, lilies of the valley successfully appear where this plant has not been found before. However, this breeding method is hardly suitable for those who want to see lily of the valley flowers not in the photo, but in their own garden.

If the lily of the valley is grown from seed, the plant will bloom only after 6-7 years. Therefore, flower growers prefer to use vegetative propagation of the culture using root cuttings.

After being transferred to a new place, a strong delenka with the beginnings of leaf rosettes quickly takes root and, with proper care, will delight with fragrant bell flowers in 1–2 years.

Types and varieties of lilies of the valley with a photo of flowers

Graceful fragrant flowers have long attracted the attention of man. Long before Linnaeus, the lily of the valley was known to the peoples who inhabited modern countries Europe, Russia, Asia. This is evidenced by the mention of the plant in the legends of the ancient Romans and Germans, Slavic tribes, as well as the use of culture for medicinal purposes.

Since the 16th-17th centuries, when the fashion for bouquets and flower decoration of costumes and hairstyles arose in France and other countries, lilies of the valley turned out to be very useful. Not only did they show themselves perfectly in cutting, but they also served as a natural flavoring agent, a kind of perfume that masks unpleasant odors.

The demand for flowers turned out to be so great that plants from the forest migrated to gardens and flower beds. Thanks to careful selection, large-flowered varieties of Convallaria grandiflora already appeared then. These plants are distinguished by slender flower stalks rising above green foliage and bearing up to 20 large white buds.

Another achievement of breeders is the appearance of lilies of the valley, the flowers of which are not painted in the traditional white, but in a pale pink or lilac shade. The photo gives a visual representation of what the lily of the valley Convallaria Rosea looks like.

Not wanting to stop there, the enthusiasts of this amazing spring crop have created a group of double-corolla Convallaria Prolificans varieties. The brushes of these plants look especially magnificent, while completely retaining both durability and wonderful aroma.

Lilies of the valley with original foliage are no less in demand among lovers of garden flowers. These are variegated forms, the leaf plates of which, depending on the variety, are decorated with strokes, stripes or strokes of contrasting tones.

Garden lily of the valley Hardwick Hall is distinguished by leaves with a wide, heterogeneous border of yellow.

Lily of the valley Albostriata plants are doubly decorative during flowering, and after it they remain incredibly attractive thanks to bright leaf plates covered with longitudinal stripes of yellow.

More golden reflections on the Aurea leaves. On some leafy leafy greens, the color remains only in the form of thin stripes, the rest is painted in milky yellow tones. Light, as in the photo of lily of the valley flowers, shoots bearing flowers can also be.

Use of lily of the valley

In the garden, lilies of the valley are actively used for landscaping areas under the crowns of trees and tall shrubs. The May bloom allows the area to come alive while the large plants have not yet come into full force.

A perennial ground cover crop does not require special care, it easily winters in the European part of Russia, it goes well with such popular species as aquilegia, irises, and blueberries blooming a little earlier. At the same time, by the middle of summer, the decorative effect of lilies of the valley decreases. To maintain the freshness of the foliage, the plant is watered, and experts recommend cutting off the remaining flower stalks with the resulting berries so as not to weaken the next year's flowering.

Lilies of the valley can be grown in room conditions, as well as to achieve the early appearance of flowers by planting healthy rhizomes stored in the fall in a pot.

If lilies of the valley are collected for a bouquet, it is better to give preference to brushes that are not fully opened. Cutting is carried out in the morning or evening, when there is no direct sunlight. Due to the strong smell, lily of the valley flowers should not be left in living quarters, especially in children's and bedrooms.