Ornamental · Asparagaceae
Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum biflorum
Hand it a shady, damp, humus-rich spot and Solomon's seal mostly runs itself.
Full shade
Every 3–7 days
USDA 3–9
3–6 ft · 0.9–1.8 m
Overview
Got a shady patch that never quite works? Solomon's seal loves exactly that. It's grown for its arching stems, not for a flashy bloom, and honestly that's part of the charm. Lift a stem in spring and you'll spot little bell-shaped flowers hanging in pairs underneath, tucked right out of view. Over time it wanders on a creeping rhizome and settles into a soft colony in the shade.
This is the plant for the corners where nothing else seems happy. It handles cold winters across a big range of zones, and all it really asks for is shade and soil that stays moist and rich. Plant it, give it a season to find its feet, and it just keeps coming back on its own, a little taller and fuller each year.
Once the flowers fade, you'll get blue-black berries by late summer, and they look great even though they're off-limits for eating. Some cooks do simmer the young shoots and treat them like asparagus, but the berries and the raw plant? Best to just look and not touch.
Care
The short version: pop it into part to full shade with rich, humusy soil, keep that soil evenly moist, and then pretty much let it do its own thing.
Light
This one's a shade plant through and through. It's happiest in part to full shade, and it'll take a little morning or filtered sun, but stick it somewhere hot and exposed and it'll go thin and scorched on you.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist, kind of like the damp floor of a woodland. In dry spells that means a drink every 3 to 7 days, and a bit more when it's really hot. An established clump can shrug off a short dry patch, but it always looks happier with steady water.
Soil
Give it rich, humusy, well-drained ground and work in plenty of organic matter first. It's not picky about pH, and it'll handle anything from 5.5 to 7.0, so the main thing is just keeping the soil loose and full of compost.
Temperature
Cold weather? No problem. It's a tough, cold-hardy perennial that takes winters down to -40°F (-40°C) and summers up to around 86°F (30°C). The roots just ride out the hard freezes and send up fresh shoots come spring.
Humidity
There's no humidity number to worry about here. Regular outdoor air is fine, and what it really likes is the cool, moist air of a shady bed rather than some dry, sun-baked corner.
Feeding
It doesn't eat much. A balanced fertilizer in spring, or just a top-dressing of compost as the new shoots come up, is all it wants, and in really rich woodland soil it might not need feeding at all.
Pruning
Not much to do here, honestly. Just cut the yellowed stems back to the ground in late fall or after the first frost, and otherwise let it keep spreading at its own slow pace.
Repotting
Think of it as a long-term tenant that rarely needs moving. Only divide a clump when it gets crowded and starts losing steam, or when you see the rhizomes poking up at the soil surface.
Size & spacing
Give it time and a clump gets 3 to 6 feet (91 to 183 cm) tall and 2 to 4 feet (61 to 122 cm) wide. Leave each plant some breathing room so it can arch out and form its colony without crowding whatever's next door.
When to plant
There's no seed-starting scramble with this one. Just set out divisions or potted plants in spring or fall while the soil's still cool and damp, and keep an eye out for the dangling flowers in April and May once the new stems get going.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: spring or fall
- Harvest: April to May
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Good news: Solomon's seal barely gives you any trouble. The two things that do crop up both come down to where it's planted, so the early signs usually tell you whether it's a pest or just the spot. Find your symptom below and sort it out early.
Thin, floppy stems and not much growth
When it goes thin and leggy, that usually means too much sun or dry, worn-out soil. In a hot, open spot the leaves can scorch and yellow early too. Move it into part to full shade, mulch and water to keep things evenly moist, and mix in some compost to give that tired ground a boost.
Fix:
- Move or plant in part to full shade
- Mulch and water to keep soil evenly moist
- Amend soil with compost or organic matter
Something's chewing ragged holes in the leaves
That's almost always slugs and snails at work. They come out at night and love the cool, damp shade this plant sits in, and if you look closely you'll spot their silvery slime trails. Head out after dark and pick them off, scatter some iron phosphate bait, and clear away the leaf litter and damp spots that let them hide.
Fix:
- Hand-pick slugs in the evening
- Use iron phosphate slug bait
- Reduce excess moisture and remove debris near plants
Toxicity
It's low-risk, but not something to treat as totally harmless. Sure, some cooks eat the young shoots, but the blue-black berries and the raw plant carry saponins and anthraquinones that'll upset a stomach. The berries are the main thing to watch, so keep them away from kids, cats, dogs, and grazing animals.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
If a cat nibbles the leaves or swallows a berry, it might drool, throw up, or get loose stools. It's not on the ASPCA toxic list and the risk stays pretty low, but those berries are still the part you'll want to keep out of reach.
Dogs Mild
Most dogs that chew a leaf or grab a fallen berry just get a bit of an upset stomach and some diarrhea. It hardly ever turns serious, but there are saponins in there, so it's not a habit you want a curious pup picking up.
Horses Mild
Horses usually leave the bitter foliage alone, and a small taste normally passes with nothing worse than a little tummy trouble. Just keep them off the berries, since that's where the real problem is.
Rabbits Mild
A rabbit that samples the leaves or berries can end up with soft stools and a sour stomach. So don't offer any part of this plant as a snack.
Livestock Mild
Grazing animals usually walk right past it, and the bitter taste keeps them from eating much anyway. Still, the saponins and anthraquinones can bring on mild digestive upset if a hungry one works through a patch.
Birds Mild
Wild birds happily eat the ripe berries and help spread the seed, but a pet bird's a lot smaller and can react badly to the very same fruit. So keep cage birds well clear of the berries and foliage.
People Caution
Only the young shoots get eaten, and only after they're cooked, the way some cuisines treat them like asparagus. The blue-black berries and the raw plant hold saponins and anthraquinones that bring on nausea and diarrhea, so leave the fruit alone and keep it away from kids.
Keep the ornamental berries away from pets and children; wash hands after handling.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Most gardens just grow the plain green species, and it's lovely. But if you're after a different size or a bit of extra color, a few named forms are worth tracking down.
Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum
Giant or Great Solomon's seal is the big one, sending up chunky arching stems 3 to 7 feet tall that dangle as many as 8 or more flowers at every leaf joint.
Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum Variegatum
This variegated one's all about the foliage, with light green leaves neatly trimmed in white plus fragrant flowers that make it a favorite for the shade garden.
Polygonatum humile
Dwarf Solomon's seal is a little Asian species that only gets to about 8 to 12 inches, which makes it perfect for a small shade bed or the front of a border.
Companions
Solomon's seal belongs in the shade garden, beside the moisture-loving woodland plants that share its cool, dappled corner.
Plant near
Ferns: Share the same moist, shady woodland conditions and contrast in texture.
Hostas: Thrive in the same rich, shaded soil and complement the arching habit.
Astilbe: Enjoys similar moist shade and adds flower color beneath the foliage.
Wild ginger: A low woodland groundcover that pairs well in cool, dappled shade.
How to propagate
Want more of it? That's easy. Split a clump for quick results, or grow it from seed if you don't mind waiting a good while.
DivisionEasy
Spring or fall · 1 to 2 growing seasons
Division is the quick, no-fuss way to get more. In spring or fall, dig up a clump and break or cut the rhizome into pieces, just making sure each one keeps a growth bud. The new bits settle in and fill out over 1 to 2 growing seasons.
SeedModerate
Fall (sown fresh) for cold stratification · 2 to 3 years or more
Seed is the slow road, so pack some patience. Clean the seed out of ripe berries and sow it outside in fall so the winter cold can break its dormancy. Even then, you're looking at 2 to 3 years or more before the plants really take off.
Myths
True Solomon's seal and False Solomon's seal are basically the same plant.
Nope. They look pretty similar, but they're actually in different genera. True Solomon's seal (Polygonatum) dangles its paired, bell-shaped flowers under the arching stem, while False Solomon's seal (Maianthemum racemosum) bunches its flowers and berries into one plume at the tip. Once you know that, you'll never mix them up.
Those blue-black berries on Solomon's seal are fine to eat.
They're really not. The berries are inedible and mildly toxic, and they carry anthraquinone that brings on vomiting and diarrhea if you swallow them. They're pretty enough to tempt a curious kid, so it's smart to point them out.