Lily of the valley

Convallaria majalis

A rhizome. A stem that grows sideways at or just below the soil, with nodes that make shoots above and roots below.

Whole

Cut open

Store	Rhizome. Grows horizontally and is segmented, with a shoot at the growing tip.
Depth	2-3 cm to the base of the rhizome
Spacing	15-20 cm apart
When	Plant in autumn. Plant: from your first autumn frost to 6 weeks after. Work out your dates.
Pets	Not on the ASPCA list: treat as unsafe to chew

About Lily of the valley

Spreads by creeping rhizomes with plump growing points called pips. Every part is poisonous.

Depth and spacing

Typical range: 2-3 cm deep and 15-20 cm apart. A general rule is to plant at two to three times the height of the rhizome; check the label for your variety. The drawing is to scale for 2.5 cm deep and 17.5 cm apart (the size of the organ is illustrative); try your own measurements.

When to plant

Plant in autumn. Plant: from your first autumn frost to 6 weeks after. These are rules of thumb for the northern hemisphere. Enter your frost dates for real dates.

Dividing and propagating

Dig up sections of rhizome with pips and replant in autumn.

Lifting and storing

Pips dry out quickly; plant promptly.

Not on the ASPCA list

The ASPCA plant list has no entry we could match to this plant, so we cannot say it is safe. Keep pets from chewing it and digging up the rhizome, and ask your vet if in doubt. Search the ASPCA list.