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Native Plants of the Southeast

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Polygonatum biflorum
Smooth Solomon's Seal, Small Solomon's Seal, Great Solomon's Seal, Lady's Seal, Sealwort

Photo by Cure Nursery

Solomon’s Seal is a graceful plant which enriches the woodland haitat without competing with the larger specimens there. It grows slowly but surely in the deer-protected understory to be a beautiful show throughout the growing season. The individual plant is an arching single stem with alternate, shiny leaves and pairs of tiny, bell-shaped white flowers dangling from each node in spring. By the end of summer, the blue berries appear and the foliage turns deep yellow. Solomon’s Seal spreads by rhizomes and by seeds, forming large swaths. It is beautiful growing with Mitchella repens. The rhizomes are tuber-like and are supposed to taste like potatoes, and were apparently consumed by early American settlers. The young shoots can also be boiled and served like asparagus.

Last Updated: May 29, 2019

Key Info

Scientific Name: Polygonatum biflorum (Walter) Elliott
Common Names: Smooth Solomon's Seal, Small Solomon's Seal, Great Solomon's Seal, Lady's Seal, Sealwort
Family Name: Ruscaceae
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Uses: Naturalizing
Light Requirement: Dappled sun, Full shade-bright
Moisture Requirement: Wet, Medium, Moist well drained
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Bloom Times: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
Flower Color: Cream
Special Characteristics: Rhizomatous, Tolerates dry conditions

Additional Info

Habit: Singular, upright, arching, zig zag, unbranched stems arising from jointed, starchy rhizomes.
Height: 1'- 3'
Spread: 1'
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil Conditions: Moist, rich, acid soils, though also occurs in calcareous areas. Prefers high humus. Sandy, sandy loam, medium loam, clay loam, clay.
Leaves: Alternate, oval, entire, sessile, 2-4 inch leaves with pronounced parallel venation.
Flowers (or reproductive structures): In spring, white to greenish white, 3⁄4-inch, 6-parted, tubular flowers dangle in pairs on short pedicels from nodes along the arching stems, underneath leaves.
Fruit: Black, Blue, ¼-inch to ½-inch. ripe in September
Natural Distribution: Rich, dry to moist woodlands; thickets; calcareous hammocks.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: FACU
Pollination: Bees, butterflies, other insects.
Wildlife Connections: birds eat the fruit, mamals eat roots
Pharmacology: Berries are mildly toxic. The naturalist Edgar Denison suggests that the name ("Seal") actually refers to "wound sealing properties" of the plant (MoBot).
Cultural Notes: EDIBLE PARTS: Young shoots can be boiled for 10 minutes and served like asparagus. Whole shoots can be cut up and put into salad (NCSU)
Propagation: Propagate by root cuttings or by seed. Plant seeds immediately or stratification will be required.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov

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Who we are

Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

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