The dainty, white, bell-shaped flowers of lily of the valley stand out against dark green leaves and emit a sweet fragrance. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the plant signifies sweetness, humility and a return to happiness.
Lily of the valley, scientifically known as Convallaria majalis, is the birth flower of the month of May. However, its beauty and delicate flowers belie its true toxicity.
The National Institutes of Health’s U.S. National Library of Medicine states that the flowers, fruit and leaves of the lily of the valley are poisonous. They contain the poisons convallarin, convallamarin or convallatoxin.
How much is consumed and how quickly treatment is received will determine recovery rate, according to the NIH.
If someone has eaten any part of the plant, call 9-1-1 or the National Poison Control Center, 800-222-1222, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Ingestion can affect the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, throat, gastrointestinal tract, heart, blood, nervous system and skin.
The plant is also toxic to dogs, cats and horses, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The ASPCA says sign that your pet may have eaten lily of the valley are vomiting, irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, disorientation, coma and seizures.
The plant and seed company Proven Winners lists ingestion of lily of the valley as causing irregular heartbeat and pulse, usually accompanied by digestive upset and mental confusion.
Several sources indicated death in humans was possible, but unlikely due to the quantity that would need to be consumed and its bitter taste. However, numerous veterinary websites stated that lily of the valley could be fatal to pets. The U.S. Food and Drug administration cited a case of a 1-year-old mixed breed dying from eating lily of the valley.
The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences’s website said lily of the valley is mostly an ornamental plant, but can grow wild.
The plants grow best in light to moderate shade and like well-drained soil. They can be forced to grow indoors in a matter of weeks to provide a winter respite with sweet scents.
They are sold by the pip, or root, online for prices ranging between $2 and up, and are also available as seeds. There is a rarer variety with pink flowers, Convallaria rosea, that is more expensive, starting at about $4 per pip. Check your local nursery for plant prices.
Contact Susan E. Miers Smith: ssmith@readingeagle.com or 610-371-5048.
