Garden Solomon's seal

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

Habit

Arching, unbranched stems up to about 1 m, together forming a loose clump around 50 cm wide.

Leaves

Oval to oblong, 10–15 cm, smooth and matt green, in two rows along the stem. Yellow in autumn.

Flowers

Greenish-white, tubular bells with green tips, in groups of 2–5 beneath the stem, in May and June.

Fruit

Blue-black berries in late summer, but not every year.

Roots

A thick, creeping rhizome with round scars left by the stems of previous years.

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

Why grow it?

• Graceful, arching stems that give a shady border height and structure.
• White bells in May and June that attract bees and bumblebees.
• A lovely cut flower: the arching stems look superb in a tall vase.
• Yellow autumn colour to close the season.
• Long-lived and tough: it grows for years in the same spot with little work.

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

• Partial shade or shade: under trees, between shrubs or by a north-facing wall.
• Humus-rich soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Ordinary moist soil that does not dry out; a mulch helps.
• Sheltered from strong wind, which can snap the long stems.
• Allow 40–50 cm per plant; it spreads slowly.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

1 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Ferns: Fine green foliage beside the arching stems.
• Hosta: Broad leaves at the base, in the same shade.
• Bleeding heart: Flowers at the same time, with pink or white hearts.
• Siberian bugloss: Small blue flowers and heart-shaped leaves at the front.
• Lily of the valley: A smaller relative with fragrant bells, for the base.

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

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or September–October.
2. Work compost or leaf mould into the soil.
3. Lay the rhizome horizontally, 5–8 cm deep, with the buds facing up.
4. Leave 40–50 cm between plants, or set three in a triangle for a quick clump.
5. Water in and keep the soil moist during the first year.
6. Mulch with leaf mould.

Care

Watering

Regularly in dry spells during the first year. After that only in long dry periods.

Feeding

A layer of compost or leaf mould in spring.

Mulching

Leaf mould or bark chippings keep the roots cool and moist.

Sawfly

From June, look under the leaves for grey larvae and pick them off by hand.

Leave it be

Leave it undisturbed: after moving it needs time to regain its strength.

Tip: Plant it along a path or on a bank where you see the stems from the side: that is where the row of bells beneath the arches shows off best.

Garden Solomon's seal: when to prune it?

Pruning months: November.

When: No pruning is needed. Cut the stems down in November once they have withered, or leave them until the end of winter.

How:

• Leave the stems until they are yellow or brown: this way the plant draws its reserves back into the rhizome.
• Then cut them off just above the ground.
• When cutting for the vase, take no more than a third of the stems so the plant stays strong.

Caution: Do not cut the stems down while they are still green.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March or October: dig up a piece of rhizome with at least one bud and a few roots, and replant it horizontally 5–8 cm deep.

Seed

Possible but slow: seed from ripe berries needs a cold spell and it takes a few years before flowers appear. Seedlings of this hybrid do not always resemble the parent.

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

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Hardy to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• In winter nothing shows above ground; mark the spot so you do not dig into it.
• In a large pot: wrap the pot in hessian and keep it sheltered so the rhizome does not freeze.

Diseases and pests

• Solomon’s seal sawfly: In June grey larvae strip the leaves down to the veins. Pick them off as soon as you see them; the plant simply shoots again the following year.
• Slugs: They eat the young shoots in April. Pick them off in the evening or set a beer trap.
• Brown leaf edges: Caused by too much sun or drought. Water, mulch or move the plant to more shade.
• Slow growth after moving: It needs time to recover. Keep the soil moist and be patient.

Through the year

• March: Plant or divide. Add compost.
• April: New shoots: watch out for slugs.
• May: In flower. Cut stems for the vase.
• June: In flower. Check the leaves for sawfly larvae.
• July: Water in dry spells.
• August: Berries form: keep them out of reach of children.
• October: Yellow autumn colour. Plant or divide.
• November: Cut down withered stems. Spread leaf mould.

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 refers to the round scars on the rhizome, which look like a seal.
• Every year the dead stem leaves a new scar on the rhizome, so you can roughly count how old a piece is.
• This garden plant is a hybrid between Polygonatum multiflorum and Polygonatum odoratum.