Angular Solomon's seal

Angular Solomon's seal: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Loose clump 30–60 cm high and about 40 cm wide with angular, arching stems rising from a creeping rhizome.

Leaves

Oval to oblong, 5–12 cm long, alternate in two rows along the stem; yellow in autumn.

Flower

White, tubular bells with green tips, 1–2 per leaf axil beneath the stem, scented, from May to June.

Fruit

Blue-black berries of about 1 cm in late summer. They are poisonous.

Roots

Thick, creeping rhizome marked with round scars of old stems; the clump slowly widens this way.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Graceful, arching stems with hanging, scented white bells in May and June.
• More drought-tolerant than the common Solomon’s seal, so suited to dry shade under trees.
• A native plant: bees and bumblebees visit the flowers.
• Lovely yellow autumn colour, after which the stems die back and the plant rests in winter.
• Fully hardy (to about −30 °C) and little work.

Angular Solomon's seal: where does it grow best?

• Part shade to shade. It tolerates more sun than the common Solomon’s seal, as long as the soil does not dry out.
• Well-drained, humus-rich soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moderately moist; it is quite drought-tolerant, but dislikes wet feet.
• Lovely under trees and shrubs, at a woodland edge or among ferns and hostas.
• Allow 30–40 cm per plant.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.5 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Ferns: Fine green foliage beside the arching stems, in the same shade.
• Hosta: Broad leaves that contrast with the long, narrow stems.
• Hellebore: Flowers in winter and early spring, before the Solomon’s seal appears.
• Lady’s mantle: Soft, frothy yellow flowers and rounded leaves for the edge.
• Bleeding heart: Flowers in May in the same shade, with hanging flowers like the Solomon’s seal.

Angular Solomon's seal: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Work compost or leaf mould into the soil and make sure it drains well.
3. Lay the rhizome horizontally, about 3–5 cm below the surface; a potted plant goes in at the same depth as in its pot.
4. Space plants 30–40 cm apart.
5. Water straight away and keep the soil slightly moist for the first weeks.
6. Spread a thin layer of leaf mould around the plants.

Care

Watering

Water in dry weather in the first year. After that it usually looks after itself, even in dry shade.

Feeding

A layer of compost or leaf mould in spring; more is rarely needed.

Mulching

A thin layer of leaf mould keeps the soil cool and feeds the soil.

Dead stems

Let them show their yellow colour in autumn and cut them off in March.

Support

Not needed: the arching stems look good unaided.

Tip: Lower and more drought-tolerant than the common Solomon’s seal, with scented flowers. Keep an eye on the foliage in May–June: sawfly larvae can strip it quickly, so pick them off by hand.

Angular Solomon's seal: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: It is not pruned; cut off the dead stems in March, before the new shoots appear.

How:

• Cut the withered stems down close to the ground in March.
• In summer, cut off stems whose leaves have been stripped by larvae and dispose of them.
• On a variegated cultivar, remove shoots with entirely green leaves.

Caution: Wear gloves: the berries and the rhizome are poisonous. Wash your hands after working.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In September–October or in March: lift the rhizome and divide it into pieces of at least 5–8 cm with one or more buds. Lay them horizontally in the soil, about 3–5 cm deep.

Sowing

Sow in autumn in a seed tray and put it outdoors. Germination is slow and can take a year or longer; this route is not for variegated cultivars.

Angular Solomon's seal: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The stems die back in autumn; the rhizome stays underground and sprouts again in spring.
• In a pot: put it in shelter and do not let the soil dry out completely in winter. Wrap the pot in hessian in hard frost.

Diseases and pests

• Sawfly: In May and June grey-green larvae strip the leaves down to the veins. Pick the larvae off by hand, cut off badly affected stems and dispose of them.
• Slugs: Young shoots get nibbled in spring. Collect them in the evening and protect the shoots.
• Brown leaf edges: The foliage scorches with too much sun or drought. Give more shade and water.
• Rot in wet soil: The rhizome rots in waterlogged soil. Make sure it drains well.

Through the year

• March: Cut off dead stems. Plant or divide.
• April: Plant. Protect new shoots from slugs.
• May: Flowering begins. Watch for sawfly larvae.
• June: Flowering. Pick off larvae; water in dry weather.
• July: Water in dry weather.
• August: The berries ripen and turn blue-black. They are poisonous.
• September: Plant or divide. Yellow autumn colour begins.
• October: Plant or divide. Autumn colour.
• December: Rest. Only the rhizome overwinters in the soil.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Solomon’s seal is poisonous in all its parts, especially the blue-black berries, which can tempt children. The young shoots in spring look like asparagus but are not for eating. Also poisonous to dogs and cats. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Solomon’s seal refers to the round scars on the rhizome, where old stems have fallen away: they look like a seal.
• The angular stem gives the plant its English name ‘angular Solomon’s seal’. The species name odoratum means ‘scented’.
• It is related to lily of the valley and asparagus: they all belong to the Asparagaceae.