lily of the valley

noun phrase

: a low perennial herb (Convallaria majalis) of the asparagus family that has usually two large oblong lanceolate leaves and a raceme of fragrant nodding bell-shaped white flowers

Examples of lily of the valley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The night’s decor, according to a statement from The White House, included cherry blossoms in the White House’s grand foyer as well as tablescapes of seasonal blooms of lilac, butterfly ranunculus, phlox, and lily of the valley. —Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026

Inside, trees and greenery evoked English gardens while the tables were decorated with spring blooms of lilac, butterfly ranunculus, phlox, and lily of the valley. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

Bouquets of lilac, butterfly ranunculus, phlox and lily of the valley filled the center of the table like a garden. —Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026

Lily of the Valley What’s not to love about the sweetly fragrant little white blooms of the popular woodland perennial lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)? —Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lily of the valley

• alley
• alli
• bally
• calli
• challis
• dally
• galley
• galli
• lally
• mallee
• mally
• rally

Kids Definition

lily of the valley

: a low herb that is related to the lilies and has usually two large oblong leaves and a stalk of fragrant flowers shaped like bells

Medical Definition

lily of the valley

noun

lily of the val·​ley ˈlil-ē-əv-t͟hə-ˈval-ē 

plural lilies of the valley

1

: an erect low-growing perennial herb of the genus Convallaria (C. majalis) that has two large oblong lanceolate leaves and a raceme of fragrant nodding bell-shaped white flowers and is the source of convallaria, convallamarin, convallarin, and convallatoxin

2

: the dried rhizome and roots of the lily of the valley used as a cardiac tonic