Solomon's Plume

Maianthemum racemosum

Solomon's Plume (sold as Smilacina racemosa, now correctly Maianthemum racemosum) is one of the most beautiful spring woodland perennials in eastern North America. The arching, two-to-three-foot stems carry broad, deeply veined leaves alternately up their length, and in May they terminate in large, fluffy plumes of small, fragrant white flowers. the 'plume' that distinguishes it from true Solomon's seal. The fragrance is light and sweet, carrying a few feet on calm mornings. The flowers give way to speckled green berries through summer that ripen to translucent red by September. each berry cluster is a perfect ornamental detail and a food source for thrushes, vireos, and waxwings. The foliage turns warm yellow-gold before frost, closing the season with color. Solomon's Plume spreads slowly by rhizome to form loose, graceful colonies in moist shade. It's one of the most versatile and rewarding of all eastern woodland natives, suitable from deep shade to dappled light, thriving anywhere the soil stays moist and rich.