Landysh / Lily of the valley
Convallaria majalis
Photo credit: Ivar Leidus
This plant carries serious safety risks. All information is for educational reference only.
Safety information
Toxicity: Serious / potentially fatal. Cardiac-glycoside poisoning — nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, bradycardia/arrhythmia, hyperkalaemia, cardiac arrest. Children poisoned by the attractive red berries.
Contraindications: Not for self-medication at all. Any cardiac-glycoside-containing plant is contraindicated with existing digitalis/digoxin therapy, arrhythmia, hypokalaemia, etc.
Interactions: Additive lethal toxicity with digoxin/digitalis; potentiated by potassium-depleting drugs (loop/thiazide diuretics, anthranoid laxatives, liquorice), calcium, and certain antiarrhythmics.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Not for self-medication at all.
Evidence level
Supported by clinical trials in humans.
Preparations
This plant carries serious safety risks. All information is for educational reference only.
standardised pharmaceutical tincture (cardiac drops) — NOT a home preparation · whole plant
Part used: whole plant
Traditional use: historically a cardiac herb for mild heart failure/'weak heart' (under medical supervision), similar to foxglove
Proposed mechanism: cardiac glycosides (convallatoxin, convalloside) acting like digitalis on the heart; all parts incl. red berries poisonous
Dosage note (descriptive only): explicitly NOT for self-preparation
Reference only — not a dosage instruction
Associated conditions
Nutritional notes
Not a food source.
Healing traditions
Sources (2)
- Witkowska et al. 2024 (PMC11085323)
- Ershad & Khalid, StatPearls (NBK536963)