Lily-of-the-valley autumn
Photo: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Lily-of-the-valley berries
| Lily-of-the-valley |
Harilik maikelluke ehk piibeleht |
There are not many of the orange-red fruits on the lily-of-the-valley this year. The plant is beautiful to look at during its whole vegetation period. So it is not in vain that the lily-of-the-valley has been chosen as the Finnish national flower.
Beautiful things are often not meant for the cooking pot. So it is with the lily-of-the-valley. The whole plant is toxic, not only the juicy and pretty fruit which hides two to six seeds.
All the plant is dangerously toxic to all mammals but insects can pollinate the flowers and birds can carry the seeds in their guts to new locations.
Being spread by birds is uncertain for the lily-of-the-valley and in a suitable growing place it expands by the underground rhizome spreading. Thus next year the lily-of-the-valley patch will again be a little larger.
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