Lily-of-the-Valley is an herbaceous perennial plant which belongs to the genus Convallaria. The scientific name of the Lily-of-the-Valley is Convallaria Majalis. It belongs to the N.O.Liliaceae family and its genus is Convallaria. Though The Lily-of-the-Valley has its origin in Europe it  got  distributed all over the Northern America and Northern Asia, but in England it is treated as a local wild flower .The other names of the Lily-of-the-Valley are  May bells, Our Lady’s Tears, May Lily, Lily Constancy, Ladder to Heaven, Mudget and  Male Lily.

The thick green carpet which is formed of the Lily-of-the-Valley spreads slowly and it’s the best plant to grow in corners of the home garden where nothing else can grow. The Lily-of-the-valley has are white bell-shaped flowers which help to brighten up the area that are shaded due to the trees. They have sweet bee attracting flowers which appear in May. The blooming period of the Lily-of-the-Valley is spring. The Lily-of –the Valley is a plant which is not much bothered by pests and diseases. The Lily-of-the-Valley can be grown in the home garden as it has scented flowers and has the ability to ground cover shrubs.

In order to plant the Lily-of-the-Valley the best time is spring or during winters. It is very easy to grow Lily-of-the-Valley as they do not need much maintenance or care. It grows very well in any type of soil, but a good fertilizer as well as mulch is required for its growth and also to conserve the moisture of the plant. The area where it shall be grown needs to have partial shade. It is observed that all the leaves die during winters due to which the ground of the home garden becomes bare. The-Lilly-of-the-Valley cannot survive in crowded places.

The Lily-of-the-Valley lives very long if the climate is cool but in places where the summer is hot they die quickly. While planting them a distance of about 4 inches is required to be kept. In order to propagate new plants the clumps can be divided in any season. The flowers of the Lily-of-the-Valley which are very delicate are at many times used for the bouquets for weddings. All parts of the flower including the berries are very poisonous.

There are many legends as to how the Lily-of-the-Valley came into existence. According to Christianity the flowers of the Lily-of-the-Valley came from the tears of   Eve after she was driven away from the Garden of Eden along with Adam. While another one says the Lily-of-the-Valley sprang from the blood of Saint Leonard of Noblac. Apart from all this the Lily-of-the-Valley is the official flower of the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity. It was also made the National Flower of Finland in 1967. The Lily-of-the-Valley also has medicinal use as it is regarded as a very good medicine for heart patients and people who have kidney problem. According to the language of the flowers The Lily-of-the-Valley symbolizes return of happiness, sweetness, humility and purity.