Although Solomon's seal is poisonous, it also has a long history as a medicinal plant. Below you will find out which parts of the plant are particularly poisonous and what symptoms occur, as well as more about the use of Solomon's seal as a medicinal plant.

The berries of Solomon's seal are particularly poisonous

The poisons in Solomon's seal and their effects

In the case of the true Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum), toxins such as saponins, chelidonic acid and homoserine lactone are mainly distributed on the leaves and the highly poisonous berries, which form after the whitish bells have bloomed. Accidental consumption primarily causes the following symptoms:

  • nausea
  • Vomit
  • diarrheal diseases

The use of Solomon's seal in traditional natural medicine

In many cultures, the real Solomon's seal was used centuries ago as an important medicinal plant for various ailments. However, only the non-toxic roots are used for this, as well as for consumption as an asparagus-like vegetable. While the Solomon's seal was still used in ancient times to treat facial spots and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, later numerous areas of application related to the healing of bruises, menstrual problems and coughing disorders were common. Plant parts from locations in the garden should only be used if the plant species has been identified and there is appropriate specialist knowledge.

tips

If your garden is not used as an unsupervised playground for small children, you should definitely leave the optically attractive berries on Solomon's seal. Despite their toxic effect on humans, they are an important source of food for various bird species.

Category:

Vegetable garden