False Solomon's Seal (Maianthemum Racemosum)

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False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum) Lily Family Why Choose It? Springing out of the ground in a graceful arch, there’s nothing false about the pleasure False Solomon’s Seal brings. It lights up the forest with its creamy springtime plume, and the fragrant flowers turn to red berries in the summer. As days shorten, the glossy green plant fades to a delicate autumnal yellow. In the Garden False Solomon’s Seal makes a striking accent plant in moist woods. A robust and hardy perennial, it’s vigorous but not pushy. Nice with ferns, it will grow in deep shade to full sun and can handle wet soil. Birds such as thrushes and grouse feed on its berries, even though humans find Photo by Ben Legler them pretty blah. The Facts False Solomon’s Seal is a perennial that comes up in March, and it develops stalks one to three feet tall with elongate leaves alternating along the stem. Sometime from April to June, the sweet-smelling flowers top the stalk in a conic cluster. It’ll grow best in a site that’s moist in the spring. If you water it well during its first two summers in your garden, it should be established enough for our dry summers after that. Where to See It Look for False Solomon’s Seal from sea level to mid-elevations along streams and in damp forests where English ivy hasn’t invaded. And, hey, what’s false about it? When the flowering stalks of False Solomon’s Seal break from the underground stem, the scar that’s left is a circular depression. In the “true” Solomon’s Seals, members of the botanical genus Polygonatum, the scar resembles two interlocking triangles within a circle—the seal of Solomon. Photo: Tim Hagan You can find out more information about native plants, including where to buy them, from the Washington Native Plant Society. www.wnps.org 206-527-3210 or 1-888-288-8022 Native Plant Spotlights Adapted from writing by Sarah Gage © WNPS .

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Solomon's Seal Cultivation
SOLOMON’S SEAL: CULTIVATION & FOLKLORE Edited by C. F. McDowell, PhD Cortesia Herbal Products • www.solomonsseal.net Solomon's Seal (polygonatum biflorum, multiflorum, odoratum, etc.) is a medicinal herb that has diverse health restorative properties. It can be used as a herbal tincture, salve, tea or supplement. As an alternative remedy, it may offer relief, healing or mending to sports injuries and other conditions related to tendons, joints, ligaments, bones, bruises, connecting tissues, cartilage, etc. It also soothes and repairs gastrointestinal inflammation and injuries. It is effective for feminine issues, such as menstrual cramps, PMS, bleeding, and the like. Additionally, it is known to lower blood pressure and relieve dry coughs. Solomon's Seal has a rich history that goes back many thousands of years. Herbalists and healers, both in Europe and North America and the Far East, have written about its diverse effects on numerous conditions. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Natural Resources Conservation Service) identified Solomon's Seal as a Culturally Significant Plant, noting its medicinal and restorative value among North American Tribal (Original Nation) peoples. It is our understanding that the National Institutes of Health is presently researching the benefits of Solomon's Seal for heart health. Western documentation is largely anecdotal. Gardener's and nature lovers know the plant well, for it is easily identifiable and can be cultivated. Wellness practitioners using alternative healing methods are somewhat familiar with the plant and praise it; however, their number is still small and documentation is limited. Herbalists, chiropractors, among others are increasingly validating Solomon's Seal's effectiveness.
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Polygonatum Verticillatum
Polygonatum verticillatum No Image Family: Liliaceae Local/common names: Whorled Solomon’s Seal, Mahameda Trade name: Mahameda Profile: Polygonatum verticillatum is often confused with Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum). Many forms of this plant exist such as a broader leafed form, a dwarf form, larger forms (up to six feet) as well as the white versus pink flowering forms. Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, some members of this genus have poisonous fruits and seeds. The plant is an important member of the famous Ashtavarga (Group of eight) in the Ayurveda and known as ‘Meda’. Sweet in taste and cold in potency, it pacifies vata and pitta. It is also known in ancient literature as Dhara, Manichhidra and Shalyaparni. Habitat and ecology: The plant is commonly found in forests, shrubberies and open slopes with altitudinal variations of 1500-3700 m. This species has an extensive range in the northern hemisphere from Europe to the Himalayas up to Siberia. In the Himalayas the plant is available in Pakistan, India and southeastern Tibet. Morphology: It is an erect rather robust plant with many whorls of narrow lanceolate leaves, bearing branched clusters of 2-3 small, pendulous, tubular and white flowers with green tips in their axils. The stem is angled and grooved, 60-120 cm long. The flowers are 8- 12 mm long, fused into a broad tube below with short triangular spreading lobes. The fruit is a berry, which at first is bright red, becoming dark purple later. The rootstock is thick and creeping. Distinguishing features: The plant has white flowers with green tips.
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A Horticulture Information article from the Wisconsin Master Gardener website, posted 24 Oct 2011 Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum spp. Solomon’s seal is the common name for a number of species in the genus Polygonatum with an attractive architectural form. The rhizomes of various species have been used medicinally to treat various ailments or ground and baked into a type of bread, and the young shoots were eaten like asparagus. There are about 60 species in this group of herbaceous perennials in the lily family (Liliaceae), but only a few are commonly grown as ornamentals in the US, including both native and exotic species. The alternate leaves of Solomon’s-seal are carried on long, upright to arching stems. The linear to broad, egg-shaped leaves zigzag their way up the unbranched stalks, each pair offset slightly along the stem. Most species have solid green leaves, but some have variegated leaves. The leaves turn lemon yellow to brown in autumn, and the stems wither away for the winter. The following spring a larger stem is produced Solomon’s seal plants grow in partial shade. from the rhizome. Only a single stem is produced annually from each rhizome section, but the rhizomes branch freely, so each plant will have multiple stems. The plants spread at a modest pace to form colonies of plants. The thick, ﬂ eshy, white, irregularly-shaped rhizomes bear rounded scars where previous year’s stems arose – and supposedly it is the resemblance of these scars to the 2 inverted triangles that were the symbol or seal of King Solomon that gave rise to the common name.
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