Lily of the valley

Lily of the valley
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsidae Order: Liliales Family: Liliaceae Genus: Convallaria Species: majalis
Binomial name
Convallaria majalis

Lily of the valley is a flowering plant of the Convallaria genus. (synonyms: May lily, May bells, Our Lady's tears, Convall-lily, Lily Constancy, ladder-to-Heaven, Jacob's Ladder, male lily, muguet)

This richly fragrant groundcover, flowering in late spring with plump pendant bells on an arching raceme, is a widespread native in North America, Europe and temperate Asia. Found mainly in shadowed gardens in the northern hemisphere. A less robust, shell-pink flowering form is sometimes seen in gardens.
Leaves and flowers contain cardiac glycosides that have been used in medicine for centuries. In overdose preparations can be poisonous.