Lily of the valley

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native to Europe, Western Asia and Northern Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial that spreads by underground rhizomes and often forms extensive colonies, with stems 15 to 35 centimetres tall carrying two, rarely three, leaves and a one-sided raceme of six to twelve nodding flowers. The fruit is a small orange-red berry. The plant holds roughly 38 cardiac glycosides and is highly poisonous if eaten, so all parts are dangerous to people and animals. It is placed in the family Asparagaceae and was formerly classed with the lilies. Two former varieties, from eastern North America and eastern Asia, are now treated as separate species. It is widely grown in gardens for its scented flowers, has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, and is tied to May Day customs in France, to Flora Day in Helston, and to perfumes that imitate its scent. It is the national flower of Finland. Folk medicine has used it for centuries, though there is no scientific evidence of effective medical use.