Smilacena stellata - Star-Flowered Lily Of The Vall

Family:	Convallariaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.6
Width:	0.6
Synonyms:
Range:	N. America - British Columbia to California and east to Virginia and Newfoundland.

Smilacena stellata (Star-Flowered Lily Of The Vall) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.6m and a width of 0.6m . It has a hardness rating of 3.
Star-Flowered Lily Of The Vall will flower in November to December. the seeds ripen from February to March
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Insects

Soil Information

Star-Flowered Lily Of The Vall will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
Star-Flowered Lily Of The Vall prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Star-Flowered Lily Of The Vall can grow in full or semi shaded areas.

Woods, thickets and open meadows, on gravelly and alluvial soils[43, 85].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge
• Is suited to a deeply shaded location
• Can spread to cover ground and will out compete weeds

Cultivation Details

Requires a deep fertile humus rich moisture retentive soil, neutral to slightly acid, that does not dry out in the growing season, and a shady position[200]. Does well in a woodland garden[200]. Plants have a creeping rhizome and can form extensive patches[187]. Fruits well in a shady woodland position at Kew[K]. Hardy to about -25°c[187]. Plants are slow to establish but then can become invasive[208]. The flowers are powerfully scented[245].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 4/5
Fruit - raw or cooked[105, 161]. The fruit is about the size of a pea and is produced on the plant in small terminal clusters of about 2 - 8 berries[256]. It has a nice bitter-sweet flavour that is somewhat reminiscent of treacle[85, K]. The fruit is a good source of vitamin C, it has been used to prevent scurvy[213]. The fruit is said to be laxative in large quantities when eaten raw, especially if you are not used to eating it, though thorough cooking removes this laxative effect[K]. Young leaves - raw or cooked. The young shoots, as they emerge in spring, can be used as an asparagus substitute[85]. The young shoots and leaves are cooked and used as greens[212]. Root - cooked. It should be soaked in alkaline water first to get rid of a disagreeable taste[85, 213]. It can be eaten like potatoes[213].

• Fruit -
• Leaves -
• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 2/5
Star-flowered lily of the valley was employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[257]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. A tea made from the roots is drunk to regulate menstrual disorders[213]. A decoction of the leaves is taken 2 - 3 times a day in the treatment of rheumatism and colds[257]. Half a cup of leaf tea drunk daily for a week by a woman is said to prevent conception[213, 257]. The root is analgesic, antiseptic, haemostatic, ophthalmic, stomachic and vulnerary[257]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of stomach complaints, internal pains and to regulate menstrual disorders[257]. The dried powdered root has been used in treating wounds and bleeding[213, 257]. The crushed root has been used as a poultice on sprains, boils, swellings and limbs affected by rheumatism[257]. The pulped root has been used as ear drops to treat ear aches[257]. An infusion of the roots has been used as a wash for inflamed eyes[257].

• Analgesic - Relieves pain.
• Antirheumatic - Treats rheumatism.
• Antiseptic - Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
• Contraceptive - Prevents fertilization occurring in females.
• Emmenagogue - Promotes or increases the menstrual flow. In early stages of pregnancy it can induce an abortion.
• Ophthalmic - Treats eye complaints.
• Poultice - A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
• Stomachic - Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
• Vulnerary - Promotes the healing of wounds.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking 18 months. Stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as soon as possible, it may take 2 years or longer to germinate. Grow the seedlings on in a shady part of a greenhouse for their first year without pricking them out, giving them liquid or foliar feeds as required to ensure that they do not become nutrient deficient. Divide the young plants up into individual pots in the autumn when they are dormant, and grow them on for at least another year in a shady part of the greenhouse. When the plants have reached a sufficient size, plant them out in the autumn whilst they are dormant. Division in spring or early autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Scented parts of the plants

Flowers : Fresh

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

Plants can be grown as a ground cover when planted about 60cm apart each way[208]. An inferior cover to S. racemosa[208].

• Ground cover - Usually low growing plants that can be grown with other plants, especially shrubs and trees, to prevent the growth of weeds.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Gray's Manual of Botany.
Fernald. M. L.
Author: Fernald. M. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
Date of Publication : 1950

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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