European lily of the valley
Convallaria majalis
Plantae
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Size
- Small
- Diet
- Photosynthetic
- Biome
- Temperate forest
- Range
- Europe and Asia
- Movement
- Sessile
- Breeding
- Runners
- Defense
- Toxins
- Status
- Common
About
A woodland perennial prized for its arching stems of tiny, sweetly-scented white bells that bloom in spring. Despite its delicate appearance, every part of the plant — including its bright red autumn berries — is highly toxic due to cardiac glycosides.
Life cycle
- 1.seedA dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
- 2.sproutA first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
- 3.saplingA young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
- 4.matureFully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Liliopsida
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Genus
- Convallaria
- Species
- Convallaria majalis