Solomon's seals are reminiscent of lilies of the valley. They are also among the early flowering plants that decorate certain areas of the garden with white flowers. In the right location, the plants require little care. The fast-growing plants delight hobby gardeners for years as ornamental foliage and flowering plants.

The multi-flowered Solomon's seal is a popular ornamental plant with its delicate flowers

Table of Contents

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  1. origin
  2. growth
  3. leaves
  4. blossom
  5. fruit
  6. use
  7. Is Solomon's Seal Poisonous?
  8. Which location is suitable?
  9. What soil does the plant need?
  10. What is the best planting time?
  11. The right planting distance
  12. Increase Solomon's Seal
  13. sowing
  14. Solomon's seal in the pot
  15. balcony
  16. Cast Solomon's Seal
  17. Properly cut Solomon's Seal
  18. Properly fertilize Solomon's Seal
  19. hardy
  20. How do I plant correctly?
  21. Diseases
  22. pests
  23. sorts

    24. origin

    The genus Polygonatum, which is also known as Weißwurz, is hidden behind the name Solomon's Seal. With around 70 species, they belong to the asparagus family. The plants are native to China. Four species have colonized habitats in Central Europe. Here they grow in shady locations with moderately moist soil. The multi-flowered claret (Polygonatum multiflorum) and the true Solomon's seal (Polygonatum orodatum) are important as ornamental plants.

    Typical habitats:

    • Deciduous and mixed forests with herbaceous undergrowth
    • perennial borders
    • bushes

    growth

    Solomon's seals grow as perennial plants with herbaceous shoots. They develop underground rhizomes as an outlasting organ. These are knotty thickened and often branched. Each year a new knot forms on the root bulb, so you can judge the age of the plant by its thickening. Fine and fleshy roots form on the rhizomes, which spread out in the substrate and are responsible for the nutrient supply.

    The shoot axis above ground grows upright or slightly bent back. In the Genuine Solomon's Seal, it is smooth and square-edged. The many-flowered claret also develops a smooth stalk that appears round or blunt-edged in cross-section. These two species reach stature heights between 15 and 60 centimeters. If the conditions are perfect, the plants can reach 100 centimeters in height. There are low Polygonatum species such as the dwarf Solomon's seal from Japan, which grows up to 30 centimeters high.

    leaves

    The leaves of the Weißwurz are arranged alternately. They stand in two rows and are sessile or have very short stalks. Your simple leaf blade is oblong or slightly ovate in shape and has parallel veins. The twelve to 17 centimeters long leaves are dark green on the top. Underside they appear lighter and grey-green frosted.

    blossom

    While the many-flowered claret has three to five flowers in one inflorescence, one or two flowers grow together in groups on the real Solomon's seal. The inflorescences arise from the leaf axils. The drooping appearance of the flowers is typical of the species. They follow a tripartite structure and are hermaphrodite. Six cream-white and identically shaped bracts are fused into a tube. The corolla tube ends in six greenish-tinged lobes. All floral organs are hidden deep within the flower.

    heyday

    Both species bloom between May and June. The real Solomon's seal exudes a slightly sweet scent during the flowering period, which gave the plant the Latin suffix orodatum. Therefore, the species is also called sweet-smelling white root. The many-flowered claret has no scent.

    fruit

    Depending on the number of flowers, berries ripen between August and September. They are blue-black in color and often frosted. Each berry contains between seven and nine seeds.

    use

    Polygonatum species are suitable for planting under woody stands. As typical forest species, the herbaceous plants adorn near-natural gardens with old trees. They grow in border areas or perennial plantations and give rocky steppes a mystical character. Between lady's mantle, foxglove and lily of the valley, white borage looks very elegant.

    The foreground of wild hedges gets bright color accents with the delicate plants. They harmonize with rhododendrons, hostas and azaleas. Solomon's seal cuts a fine figure both in a group and in a single position. The herbaceous plant decorates early flowering beds and is good for planting in tubs and balcony boxes. (€109.00)

    These are good plant partners in the shade bed:

    • ferns
    • hostas
    • low-growing astilbes
    • forest grasses

    Is Solomon's Seal Poisonous?

    Polygonatum species are poisonous in all parts of the plant. The berries in particular contain various toxins such as schoenic and jervaic acid, homoserine lactone and saponins.

    In medicine, the parts of the plant are used to heal wounds because of their antibacterial effect. After consumption, various symptoms can occur such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Although the toxicity is classified as mild, children and pets should not be tempted and should avoid tasting.
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    Which location is suitable?

    The plants prefer a shady to half-shady location. Places under trees that are on streams or larger bodies of water are ideal.
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    What soil does the plant need?

    A well-drained soil ensures that no waterlogging forms. The plants are less sensitive to wet conditions. Solomon's seals grow particularly well in moist soil, which may be slightly swampy. A humus-rich substrate offers the plants optimal growth conditions. They like a calcareous soil.

    What is the best planting time?

    The best time to put out the plants is in early spring, because then Solomon's seals decorate the garden with a lush bloom in the same year. Freshly separated rhizomes are planted in autumn.

    The right planting distance

    Depending on the species, Solomon's seals are between 20 and 40 centimeters wide. They should be planted in the bed according to their growth width. Keep a minimum distance of 25 centimeters. You can plant ten to twelve plants per square meter so that the plants develop a dense bushy stock. The plants become more beautiful from year to year. It takes a while before Solomon's seals convince with impressive growth.

    Increase Solomon's Seal

    The rhizome-forming plants can be propagated by division and rejuvenated in this way. To do this, dig up a healthy plant in the fall and divide a strong rootstock with a sharp knife. You can orientate yourself on the nodular thickenings that serve as a predetermined breaking point. The rhizomes can often be divided by breaking off a thickening. The section should have as many fine roots as possible so that it can grow faster at the new location. The mother plant should also have a sufficient network of fine roots…

    The soil at the new location should be well loosened. A digging fork is perfect because it penetrates into deeper layers of the earth. Plant the section at the same depth as the mother plant grows. Press down the substrate and water the soil sufficiently to close air holes and allow the tuber to grow better. In the next few years, the daughter plant should not be disturbed by digging up. It takes some time for new swellings to form at the root.

    sowing

    Solomon's Seals can be propagated by seeds. The cold germs need a cold stimulus that stimulates the seeds. This can happen naturally with the onset of winter or artificially.

    In the garden

    If you collect fruit in the fall, you should free the seeds from the pulp and let them dry. Sow the seed directly outdoors just before winter. Choose a partially shaded location where the substrate has humic properties. When the snow melts next year, the seed coat swells and germination begins. If you sow the seeds in spring, germination will also take place after the winter of the following year.

    in the house

    You can positively influence the germination process by storing the seed in a warm place with a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius for four weeks. Sprinkle the seeds in a freezer bag filled with sand and store in the refrigerator for four to six weeks. Regularly check the humidity of the substrate. This measure serves as stratification.

    Then sprinkle the seeds on a growing substrate and place the planter in a cool place with temperatures between zero and twelve degrees Celsius. Large jumps in temperature should be avoided so as not to interrupt the germination process. As soon as the first leaves appear, the plants are pricked out. In April, the young plants can be used at the desired location in the garden.

    Solomon's seal in the pot

    Low Polygonatum species are suitable for container planting. Higher growing species should be planted in the garden the following year. You can plant a broken root tuber directly in a bucket. Use a structurally stable substrate that does not compact immediately after the casting units. High-quality mixtures contain lava, pumice, sand, clay and other mineral components.

    The right vessel:

    • consists of clay or terracotta
    • has a drain hole
    • can be both round and broad in shape

    balcony

    The dwarf Solomon's seal also grows splendidly in balcony boxes, as it requires less space than higher-growing Polygonatum species. With this plant you can add color accents to shady north-facing balconies. Make sure you have some wind protection. The plants are protected from strong winds directly on the house wall or on the windowsill.

    Cast Solomon's Seal

    The water requirement of the Polygonatum species is high. Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season. Short periods of drought do not cause problems for mature plants as long as the rhizome is not completely dry. Young plants should be watered more frequently in rain-free periods so that the substrate is continuously moist. In the spring you can mulch the soil. This promotes growth and at the same time ensures that the soil does not dry out.

    Properly cut Solomon's Seal

    Slicing measures are not recommended as they weaken Solomon's Seals. As deciduous plants, they draw their energy from the above-ground parts of the plant in autumn and store it in the rhizome. As soon as the leaves are completely withered, they can be cut off close to the ground. This measure is not absolutely necessary. The leaf mass protects the soil during the winter months and is decomposed by the microorganisms in the substrate. This gives the plants fresh nutrients next spring, which they use for new shoots.

    Properly fertilize Solomon's Seal

    If you mulch or mix compost under the substrate in spring, no further fertilization is necessary during the year. As an alternative, complete fertilizer can be used, which is administered just before sprouting. The plants feed on the nutrients throughout the growing season. Over-fertilization can weaken the plant and cause diseases or promote pest infestation.

    hardy

    Native Solomon's seals such as Polygonatum odoratum and Polygonatum multiflorum are hardy and can withstand temperatures down to -32 degrees Celsius. This high frost resistance is related to the natural location, because in forests the ground is protected by fallen leaves, so that the top layer of soil only freezes through in particularly severe winter months. The root bulbs lie at a frost-free depth.

    In snowy winter months, a blanket of snow protects the ground in open gardens from freezing. If there is no snow cover, you should cover the substrate with a thick layer of mulch. Fir branches, brushwood and leaves are suitable for this. Alternatively, you can distribute thick straw mats in the bed.

    How do I plant correctly?

    If, after several years, the plants have formed dense clumps and overgrow the site, containment is recommended. Transplanting does not make sense because the plants need time to regenerate and look ugly after the measure. You can plant fresh rhizome pieces in the new location. This will rejuvenate the stock and the old plants can be removed.

    Diseases

    There are no known diseases that cause problems for Solomon's Seal. Limp hanging leaves or a reduced willingness to grow are due to incorrect site conditions or care measures. Check moisture and lime content in the soil.

    pests

    Many pests spread to already weakened plants. You can prevent an infestation by spraying the plants with garlic or horseradish decoction in the spring.

    Solomon's seal sawfly

    The wasp lays its eggs on the leaves of Solomon's seals in May. A pest infestation is usually only noticed when the larvae have hatched and leave traces of feeding on the leaves. They eat the leaves bare from the shoot tip to the leaf base and leave behind a skeleton. Affected shoot tips should be generously cut off and removed so that the larvae no longer eat their way through the leaf mass. You can regularly check the plant for pests and eggs and strip them off the leaves.

    snails

    In the spring, snails become annoying pests that feed on the freshly sprouting plants. They do particularly well in the moist, shady locations where Solomon's Seals grow. The dwarf Solomon's Seal prefers to be destroyed by snails. Within a short time, the pests can bare entire stocks. Loosen the soil regularly to make it difficult for the snails to get there.

    Help against snails:

    • Erect snail fences
    • alternatively use pointed stones as obstacles
    • Coffee grounds keep the pests away
    • Set up beer traps
    • Distribute snail nematodes with the irrigation water

    tips

    The plants convince not only in spring with an interesting bloom. When winter is just around the corner, the lush green leaves turn bright yellow. They form a harmonious contrast to the dark fruits and are particularly effective under shady trees.

    sorts

    • Weihenstephan: Blooms between May and June, flowers large. Growth height up to 100 centimeters.
    • striatum: Leaves green with white stripes. Especially long flowers, creamy white. Grows up to 100 centimeters high.
    • variegated: Expansive growth. Leaves green, edged with white. Growth height up to 40 centimeters.
    • Whorl-Leaf Pistachio: Non-toxic. Leaves narrow, arranged in whorls. Grows between 40 and 100 centimeters high.
    • Narrow-flowered Solomon's seal: flowers elongated, flowering period May to June. Grows up to 80 centimeters high.

Category:

Vegetable garden