15 Non-Invasive Alternatives to Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) is an enchanting woodland wildflower groundcover, though it may be time to break the spell. In late spring, spikes of nodding little bell blooms appear above the leaves. The white bells brighten the shade garden, and a sweet fragrance adds to their appeal. The charming perennial is also durable, spreading quickly and growing across soil conditions, including clays and dry situations.

So, what’s not to love about Lily of the Valley? Its wide adaptability and vigorous rhizomes bring disadvantages. It can be invasive in optimal growing conditions, spreading aggressively to form dense colonies. It also has the potential to displace native plant communities and other desirable species. Native to Europe, it has naturalized in much of the northeastern, northwestern, and central U.S. However, heat and humidity are deterrents where spread is less likely.

To match the appeal of the flowering groundcover, numerous, more well-behaved options are ready to stand in. From naturalizing natives to non-aggressive perennials, our list of woodlanders makes fine Lily of the Valley alternatives. With similar growing requirements, they bring merits of their own, ornamental and ecological.

Tiarella

	botanical name Tiarella spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-20”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Tiarella is a lovely North American native with patterned foliage, a mounding habit, and delicate floral sprays. Its shapely leaves bring high texture and contrast to the woodland border. 

A Heuchera relative, tiarella has more petite features and is tidy and compact. The low-maintenance gems also tolerate deep shade and enchant with multiseason appeal. 

For weeks in the spring, tiarella’s airy blooms on fine spires create a feathery cloud of pinks and whites. Also called foamflower, these low-growing perennials are ideal as a groundcover or grouped arrangement for impact.

Bunchberry

	botanical name Cornus canadensis
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 4-12”
	hardiness zones 2-6

A member of the Cornus, or dogwood, genus, bunchberry forms a darling carpet of miniature dogwood flowers and leaves. Showy white blossoms shine against the fresh green foliage in spring, with drupes of bright red berries in late summer through fall. Birds forage on the berries, which are also edible for people. Autumn interest continues as leaves change to red and purple.

The native needs cool climates to thrive and won’t withstand hot summers. Situate it beneath tree and shrub cover for optimal dappled conditions.

Bunchberry grows best in moist, organically rich soils. Water new plants regularly until roots establish.

Dwarf Crested Iris

	botanical name Iris cristata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-9”
	hardiness zones 3-9

This compact native iris forms a layer of attractive green, sword-shaped leaves. Flowering begins in spring and early summer when watery blue-purple blooms capture attention. The painterly petals have white and yellow details and make for an ornamental wildflower..

Dwarf crested irises are easygoing perennials. In loamy soils, they’re rhizomes spread with little maintenance. Use them in drifts, along borders, and to soften walkway edges.

Wood Anemone

	botanical name Anemone nemorosa
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 5-8”
	hardiness zones 5-10

With the infusion of starry blooms that wood anemones offer in early to late spring, you’ll have plenty of bright white tranquility in your shady zones. The North American native naturalizes under a tree canopy for a show en masse.

‘Robinsoniana’ is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient with pale lavender blooms and creamy gray reverses. The flowers follow the sun during the day and close in the evening. ‘Royal Blue’ has periwinkle flowers with yellow centers on short, upright stems.

Wood anemones have finely-textured, deeply lobed leaves. They spread through rhizomes to form a low-growing mat.

Woodland Phlox

	botanical name Phlox divaricata
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6″-2’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Woodland phlox veers from the white with cool, blue flowers. The native grows wildly in open woodlands, dappled meadows, and along streams. Its loose, informal habit with spreading and mounding stems makes it a graceful addition. Dark, slender foliage is attractive throughout the seasons and remains semi-evergreen in winter.

Woodland phlox shows periwinkle blossoms in April and May. The species is native to eastern North America and has an Award of Garden Merit status. ‘Blue Moon’ is a compact variety with a blanket of reliable blooms. ‘May Breeze’ brings pale blue, nearly white flowers to its arching stems.

Cut woodland phlox back after it finishes flowering to promote reblooming. It prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils, but tolerates various compositions. P. divaricata is drought-tolerant once established.

Wild Ginger

	botanical name Asarum canadense
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Wild ginger is another subtle beauty with dynamic foliage. The heart-shaped leaves are thick and dark, often with silver mottling, depending on the variety.

Asarum canadense is a North American herbaceous perennial with large leaves and a compact, mounding habit. It does best in cool climates, where leafy hearts pack the crowns. Fleshy roots are also edible and have a spicy ginger aroma and flavor.

Wild ginger slowly forms a dense colony. It prefers moist and well-drained soils but tolerates various types, including clay.

Bearberry

	botanical name Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 3-7

Bearberry is an exceptionally cold-hardy, broadleaf evergreen that spreads slowly. Either a small shrub or groundcover, the North American native withstands challenging conditions and grows naturally on dry, rocky slopes, open woodlands, meadows, and sandy beaches. It provides interest across the seasons and valuable fruits for wildlife.

In summer, white flowers lead to green drupes that turn red in fall. The dark green leaves take on a bronze tinge as temperatures cool. Rugged bearberry does best in arid, cool climates and won’t withstand high humidity.

Epimedium

	botanical name Epimedium spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-24”
	hardiness zones 5-8

Epimediums (also barrenwort or fairy wings) are noteworthy for their dynamic foliage, spurred flowers, and ability to grow in challenging shade conditions. Their wing-shaped leaves feature dramatic mottling, blotching, and venation. Columbine-like flowers with delicate spurs emerge in summer.

Epimediums are low-maintenance and tolerate deep, dry shade. The low-growing, compact selections are impactful in a group and as accents among other shade-loving perennials like ferns, astilbe, wild ginger, and bleeding heart.

Look for ‘Pretty in Pink’ with rose and pale pink flowers and bronzey-pink and green heart-shaped leaves. ‘Pink Champagne’ sparkles with blushing blooms and leaves and is an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) recipient.

Wintergreen

	botanical name Gaultheria procumbens
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 4-8”
	hardiness zones 3-7

Wintergreen is a fine Lily of the Valley alternative and a dwarf, evergreen spreader with rounded, leathery leaves. In summer, delicate and nodding pinky-white bell flowers dot the stems. Bright scarlet berries also follow to highlight bronze-red winter foliage.

American wintergreen is another AGM recipient. It boasts easy landscape performance, requires little maintenance, and grows across a range of climates. 

Wintergreen leaves have a fresh, minty aroma and flavor. The fruits are a favorite among birds and wildlife. It thrives in rich soils with even moisture and good drainage. Established plants tolerate drier conditions.

Hardy Cyclamen

	botanical name Cyclamen coum
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 3-6”
	hardiness zones 4-8

Hardy cyclamen (as opposed to florist cyclamen, C. persicum) perennializes for a diminuitive carpet of distinct, heart-shaped leaves. C. coum blooms in late winter, leading into early spring. Its petite leaves form a cushion for short-stemmed bloom clusters in pinks, rosy purples, and white.

Also called Persian violet or Eastern sowbread, C. coum earned the AGM for its performance, cold hardiness, and ornamental value. Appearing from late winter to early spring (around January to March, depending on the climate), these accompany early bulbs like winter aconite, snowdrops, and glory of the snow.

Persian violet tolerates dry shade conditions. They perform best in organic soils with good drainage. Though they’re slow to establish, starting with a number of plants gives the colony a head start.

Astilbe

	botanical name Astilbe spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Astilbe puts on a summer show with frothy, colorful plumes that rise above ferny, mounding foliage. The texture and blooms differ from Lily-of-the-Valley but make a handsome woodland alternative. The perennials spread slowly over time.

The textural leaves are glossy and green with tinges of red and copper; they even stay fresh all summer. Seed heads develop post-bloom and extend seasonal interest. 

Astilbe is relatively easy to grow as long as the soil remains consistently moist and high in organic matter. They suffer during dry spells.

Ribbon Grass

	botanical name Reineckea carnea
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 3-10”
	hardiness zones 7-9

For the warm-climate garden, Reineckea steps in as a Lily of the Valley alternative. Ribbon grass, also called false mondo, resembles the bladed tufts of liriope and mondo. From the same native range of Japan and China, it has wider, softer blades in fresh green.

Ribbon grass is sweetest in summer when it develops rosy buds on short, spiky stems. Buds open to fragrant, light lavender flowers. Orange-red berries form in fall and persist for winter interest. ‘Greenscape’ is a large variety with dense blades. Its lavender flowers appear in late summer and fall, with lilac berries that follow.

False mondo grass adapts to various soil types and acidity levels. It goes without supplemental irrigation unless hot or dry spells last for extended periods. It spreads through rhizomes to form drifts, but division helps maintain colony size over time.

Bleeding Heart

	botanical name Dicentra spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 9-18″
	hardiness zones 3-8

Bleeding heart brings woodland and wildflower appeal with heart-shaped pendulous flowers that hang from graceful stems. With species native to eastern North America and to Asia, Dicentra and its cultivars are well-adapted to dappled and understory situations.

Bleeding hearts’ puffy blooms in white, pale pink, and fuchsia delight in late spring. Dicentra enters summer dormancy as temperatures rise, but you can disguise the fading foliage with other summer-blooming and leafy perennials. The delicate beauties combine well with columbine, heuchera, hardy geraniums, and wild ginger.

Dicentra eximia is a North American wild bleeding heart with dangling pink (sometimes white) hearts. Cut foliage is ferny and feathery and withstands drier conditions once established. 

Solomon’s Seal

	botanical name Polygonatum spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Solomon’s Seal is a structural perennial with scaffolding, zig-zagging foliage that lines upright and arching stems. Species and varieties in soft mint green or with milky white variegation brighten shady zones. In spring, greenish-white bell blooms suspend beneath stems from each node.

Native species include P. biflorum, smooth Solomon’s seal, and P. pubescens, hairy Solomon’s seal, both native to eastern North America, with a wide range. The Japanese variety P. odoratum ‘Variegatum’ has creamy-edged leaves along red stems and fragrant white springtime flowers.

For a similar Lily of the Valley native alternative, look to false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum). Starry, feathery, ivory flowers appear on the ends of stems. Their light fragrance draws pollinators, and the berries that follow support wildlife.

Canada Mayflower

	botanical name Maianthemum canadense
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 4-6”
	hardiness zones 1-8

Canada mayflower might be the ideal alternative to Lily of the Valley. It’s even called false lily of the valley for its similar attributes. The small, naturalizing woodland groundcover produces fragrant white, starry blooms on zig-zagging stems in late spring.