Convallaria majalis
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Photo courtesy Wikicommons, Drawing 19th century drawing |
Britton & Brown; Photo courtesy Jane Morton Galetto |
| Botanical name: | Convallaria majalis (L.) Raf. |
| Common name: | European lily of the valley |
| Group: | monocot |
| Family: | Convallariaceae, formerly in Liliaceae |
| Growth type: | forb/herb |
| Duration: | perennial |
| Origin: | Introduced |
| Plant height: | 4-8" |
| Foliage: | leaves, 2-3, narrowly elliptic 6-20" |
| Flower: | bell shaped white to pink |
| Flowering time: | 10-25 cm long, 5 to 15 flowers on flowering stem |
| Habitat: | late spring; fruits orange-red berry |
| Range in New Jersey: | disturbed, open areas |
| Heritage ranking, if any: | n/a |
| Distribution: |  |
| Misc. | Forms extensive colonies.This plant can overtake an area and become quite weedy. Used as a food source for some Lepidoptera larvae. Religious legend surrounds this plant: some legends state the the plant represents Eve's tears after being removed from the Garden of Eden. Other legends state that it "sprang from the blood of Saint Leonard of Noblac during his battles with a dragon" (wikipedia) All parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested. |