2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
The lily of the valley / Convallaria majalis / is a herbaceous plant of the Ruscus family. Also known as the lily of the valley, the lily of the valley is known and loved by most people. The lily of the valley forms extensive collins of underground stems - rhizome.
The rhizome of Lily of the valley is long and creepy. Aboveground stems reach 15-30 cm in height, with 1-2 leaves that are between 10-25 cm long. The leaves of the lily of the valley are dark green and envelop the stem. The flowers are snow white with a very pleasant aroma. The fruit is a red ball with a diameter of about 8 mm and between 2-6 blue seeds.
A story of a lily of the valley
According to a Christian legend, the lily of the valley appeared when the Virgin Mary wept after the crucifixion of Jesus.
In England, legend has it that the lily of the valley grows in the forest, where the fairy-tale hero Leonard defeated the dragon. Where drops of the hero's blood fell to the ground, lily-of-the-valley tears grew, whose bells carried a victorious anthem.
Since the 17th century, the French have celebrated the feast of the lily of the valley. Every year, in the first week of May, the young people went to the forest for the maiden's tears, and then decorated their rooms and clothes with them, after which they began feasting and dancing. The boys presented a bouquet with Lily of the valley of the girls and invited them to a dance. If the girl accepted the invitation, she would also give her bouquet to the young man. In some cases, this small gesture brought couples together for life.
According to the beliefs of the ancient Romans, the maiden's tears were small drops of fragrant sweat from the goddess of hunting Diana, which fell into the grass while she was fleeing from Faun, who was madly in love with her.
Growing lily of the valley
The lily of the valley is equally suitable for growing in a vase and growing in the garden. If you decide to decorate your garden with Lily of the valley, do not hesitate to plant it in a shady place. It is best to plant lily of the valley in October to bloom in the spring with its beautiful and fragrant flowers.
The lily of the valley propagated vegetatively by dividing the rhizome in autumn or early spring. Two types of buds are formed on the rhizome - leaf buds (they are thin and sharp and give leaves only the next year after planting) and flower buds, which are thick and blunt. Flower buds are formed in the second or third year after planting. On dry soils lily of the valley grows slowly, blooms poorly and not so long.
Both the flowers and the leaves of the lily of the valley are picked. The herb should be dried quickly and placed in tightly closed tin cans, because air and moisture can quickly compromise its properties. After tearing the lily of the valley, immediately wash your hands with warm water and soap. The herb should not be picked by pregnant women and children.
Composition of lily of the valley
Lily of the valley leaves and flowers contain essential oil, saponins, resins, organic acids and sugars, which extracted and processed properly have beneficial properties, but also contain poisonous glycosides that can be dangerous to health.
Benefits of lily of the valley
The lily of the valley increases heart rate and slows heart rate. It has a beneficial effect on the arteries. The action of lily of the valley is expressed in frequent urination, especially in people with neurosis and cardiovascular disease. The water from the lily of the valley is called "Golden Water". It is used to treat headaches, nerves, but also as a prophylactic in epidemics and infectious diseases.
The flowers are used to treat epilepsy. In folk medicine, the flower is used as a tincture in vodka or alcoholic solution, as a good sedative, as well as to reduce the degree of pain in inflammatory processes.
Damage from lily of the valley
The more beautiful, the more dangerous is the lily of the valley. It contains the poisonous alkaloid convalamarin. All parts of the lily of the valley, including the fruit, are highly poisonous and therefore home treatment with it is not recommended.
Signs of poisoning with Lily of the valley are vomiting, fatigue and severe disorder. Seek medical attention immediately if these symptoms occur.
