2019 May Plant of the Month
BWSR Featured Plant Name: Smooth Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum) Plant family: Butcher’s broom (Ruscaceae) The name Solomon’s A graceful native woodland perennial, seal may refer smooth Solomon’s seal typically grows to circular marks on the rhizomes 2 to 4 feet long, its arching stems where the previous bearing white or creamy tubular years’ stems were flowers in attached. Some spring and dark Plant Stats think the marks blue berries resemble the seal STATEWIDE of King Solomon. in summer. Fruits ripen by late Many kinds of WETLAND summer and provide bees gather INDICATOR food for woodland STATUS: FACU nectar and birds. PRIMARY USES: pollen from Photo Credits: Pollinator and Susan Nelson the flowers. Woodland birds wildlife benefit, shade gardening, eat the berries. native plantings Deer may browse the plant heavily, but without predation Solomon’s seal will form patches of attractive plants that thrive in semi- shaded gardens or native plantings. Polygonatum means “many knees,” referring to the knobby shape of the plant’s underground stem (rhizome). One to several – often two – flowers grow from the leaf axils, giving the plant its specific epithet, biflorum, meaning “twin-flowered.”
Identification Range Smooth Solomon’s seal has as they grow, reaching 2 Solomon’s seal grows alternate, smooth leaves to 4 feet long. Solomon’s in open or semi-shaded up to 6 inches long and 3 seal blooms in late spring, habitats in many parts of inches wide with parallel producing clusters of one Minnesota. Its range includes veins. The leaves are lighter to four white or off-white the eastern two-thirds of the on the underside. The flowers that hang from the U.S. and adjacent Canadian base of the leaf clasps the upper leaf axils. Flowers provinces. Solomon’s seal is stem. The round, smooth grow a half-inch to 1 inch more common in deciduous woodlands, but it is also stems’ waxy coating lends long. Berries ripen from Range map source: USDA NRCS found in meadows and them a blue-green color. green to dark blue by late Plants Database prairies. The stems typically arch summer.
www.bwsr.state.mn.us 1 Planting Recommendations Uses Solomon’s seal grows Solomon’s seal bees (Bombus best in loamy soils adds a tall, species), digger with light shade and graceful line to a bees (Anthophora moderate moisture. garden or native species) and It will spread to form planting. The other bee species blue-green cast patches. White-tailed collect pollen deer may browse the of its leaves and and nectar from plant heavily, so it stems, its hanging the flowers. may not thrive where flower clusters large deer populations and its blue Ruby-throated exist. Seeds, plants and fruits provide hummingbirds bare-root stock are interest from are known to available from many spring into late visit. The fruits nurseries. To ensure Flower buds grow from the leaf axils in early spring. summer. Bumble attract birds. the plant is adapted to local conditions and was removed from the wild, native plants from a propagated rather than it is best to purchase trusted local source.
Similar Species The closely related hairy Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum pubescens) has hairs along the veins on the leaves’ undersides. False Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum) produces flowers at the end of the stem, not at the axils. Its fruits are red, not blue. The leaves of false Solomon’s seal are green on both sides. Their bases do not clasp the stem.
Left column: False Solomon’s seal flowers are found only at the end of the stem. The lower leaf surface is green. Right column: Smooth Solomon’s seal flowers hang from leaf axils. Leaves are hairless, and lighter on the undersides.
References USDA NRCS Plants Database: https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=pobi2 Minnesota Wildflowers:https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/smooth-solomons-seal Illinois Wildflowers:http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/solomon_seal.htm Pollinators of Native Plants, by Heather Holm; Pollination Press LLC; 2014
Developed by Susan Nelson
www.bwsr.state.mn.us 2