Perennial of the Asparagaceae family, the lily of the valley is a native species in temperate Europe and Asia, present from the plains up to about 1,800 meters altitude in the Alps and Carpathians. It colonizes cool and shaded undergrowth, edges of deciduous forests, moist coppices, and wooded slopes, on substrates rich in humus, often calcareous, with good water retention.
It forms dense and carpet-like colonies through underground stolons, reaching 15 to 25 cm in height. The leaves, two per flowering stem, are large, elliptical, bright green and shiny, with well-marked parallel veins, of a sober and architectural elegance.
The flowers are small, hanging bells, of pure and pearly white, carried by an arched stem, and emit an intense, sweet and suave fragrance, which is undoubtedly the most universally known trait of the species. This fragrance has made the lily of the valley a precious raw material in perfumery, and the plant is associated in France with the tradition of May 1st. In its natural habitat, flowering extends from April to June depending on altitude.
Warning: all parts of the plant are highly toxic. In cultivation, it prefers a cool, humus-rich and well-drained soil, in shade or partial shade. Once established, it spreads vigorously and quickly covers the ground under trees.