Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) is one of the most elegant and unmistakable wildflowers of European woodlands — a graceful, arching perennial whose slender stems curve like fishing rods, bearing pairs of tubular white bells dangling beneath the leaves like tiny lanterns. Its common name derives from the circular scars left on the rhizome when old stems fall away, which resemble the impression of a wax seal — historically attributed to King Solomon, who was said to have placed his seal on the plant to recognize its medicinal virtues.
• The name "Solomon's Seal" comes from circular stem scars on the rhizome that resemble ancient wax seal marks
• Each arching stem can reach 60 to 90 cm long, curving dramatically under its own weight
• The genus name Polygonatum means "many knees" in Greek, referring to the jointed rhizome
• Closely related to lilies and asparagus — placed in the Asparagaceae family in modern classification
• The young shoots are edible when cooked, resembling asparagus in flavor
• Found throughout Europe from southern Scandinavia to the Mediterranean
• Extends eastward to the Caucasus and Siberia
• Grows in deciduous woodlands, hedgerows, scrub, and shaded banks
• Most abundant in ancient woodlands on calcareous soils
• Has been cultivated in gardens since medieval times
• First described by Linnaeus in 1753
• The genus Polygonatum contains approximately 60 to 70 species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere
Rhizome:
• Thick, fleshy, creeping horizontally just below the soil surface
• White, with conspicuous circular stem scars from previous years
Leaves:
• Alternate, ovate to lanceolate, 7 to 18 cm long and 3 to 7 cm wide
• Bright green, hairless, with prominent parallel veins
• Arranged in two rows along one side of the stem
Stem:
• Single or few, arching gracefully, unbranched, green, hairless
• 30 to 90 cm long, 3 to 5 mm thick
Flower:
• 2 to 5 tubular flowers hanging in clusters from the leaf axils
• Each flower 1.5 to 2.5 cm long, creamy white with green tips
• Tepals fused into a narrow cylindrical tube, slightly constricted at the mouth
• Blooms May through June
Fruit:
• Dark blue-black berry, 6 to 10 mm in diameter
• Found in ancient woodlands, hedgerows, and shaded banks on calcareous to neutral soils
• Prefers dappled shade to deep shade — rarely found in full sun
• Pollinated by bumblebees and other long-tongued bees that can reach nectar deep within the tubular flowers
• Spreads slowly through rhizome extension, eventually forming large, elegant colonies
• The blue-black berries are dispersed by birds
• Often found growing alongside wood anemone, bluebells, and wild garlic in ancient woodland communities
• Foliage turns golden yellow in autumn before dying back
• Plant in dappled to full shade in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil
• Ideal for woodland gardens, shaded borders, and under deciduous trees
• Plant rhizomes horizontally, 5 to 8 cm deep, in autumn or early spring
• Tolerates a wide range of soil types from acidic to alkaline
• Very long-lived once established — clumps persist for decades
• Combine with ferns, hostas, and epimediums for a classic shade garden
• Deer and rabbit resistant
• Cut stems last well in flower arrangements
Anecdote
The circular scars on Solomon's Seal rhizomes — which give the plant its name — are actually the points where each year's stem was attached before dying back in autumn. By counting these scars, you can determine the exact age of the rhizome, much like counting tree rings. Some rhizomes have been found with over 60 scars, meaning the plant has been growing in the same spot in the woodland for more than half a century, silently arching and blooming each spring while the forest changes around it.
En savoir plusCommentaires (0)
Pas encore de commentaires. Soyez le premier !
