Convallaria Majalis

Deceptive, intrusive, and toxic hardly seem fair to describe this delicate looking groundcover that thrives at the wood’s edge. Known by various aliases, including “May Bells”, “Mary’s Tears”, and most commonly, “Lily-of-the-Valley”, but none reveal that it is a member of the asparagus family. The sweetly scented, pendent bell flowers and lush leaves even appear more like a lily than that of its true family. And worse still, unlike asparagus, every bit of this plant is poisonous – including the orange-red berries that develop in the late summer.

“Liar-of-the-woodland” would be more appropriate, don’t you think?

Words and images by Michael J. Hall