Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum biflorum
Graceful arching stems hung with greenish-white spring bells, then blue-black berries for thrushes and warm gold fall foliage in the shade.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 AM – 2 PM
The arching spring elegance, blue-black fall berries for birds, and golden fall foliage make Solomon's Seal the most complete four-season native shade perennial we carry.
Solomon's Seal is the backbone of the eastern woodland garden: the graceful, arching stems with alternately arranged leaves and pairs of small, pendant, greenish-white bells hanging from each leaf axil in spring create a horizontal rhythm that no other plant achieves in shade. The whole planting feels settled and right with Solomon's Seal in it, the architectural lines of the arching stems establishing a visual order that other plants build around. The fragrant spring flowers are subtle in color but lovely when viewed close, opening just as the foliage finishes unfurling. By fall, the blue-black berries ripen in small clusters along the stem where the flowers were, providing food for thrushes and bluebirds migrating through. The foliage turns warm gold before frost, adding a final season of color before the stems collapse. Solomon's Seal spreads by rhizome to form colonies, but at a manageable rate: a small planting becomes a handsome colony in five to ten years. It is one of the most reliably handsome, low-maintenance shade perennials in the eastern native plant palette.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown solomon's seal propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant solomon's seal instead of Japanese Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum) in woodland settings. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Part shade
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 1.5–3 ft · 18–30 in wide
- Bloom time
- Spring
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Quebec south to Florida; moist to average deciduous forests and woodland edges
Care notes for solomon's seal.
Part to full shade, moist to average, humus-rich soil. Mulch with shredded leaves annually. Tolerates significant drought once established, though it performs best with consistent moisture. Spreads by rhizome to form colonies. divide in early spring or fall to thin or propagate. Remove slugs if they become problematic on new spring growth. Cut stems to ground after frost.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside solomon's seal.
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