Growth form:
Solomon's seal is an upright perennial with arched to strongly arching shoots. It has an angular stem and grows between 50 and 100 cm tall. The oval-lanceolate, stem-wrapping leaves are fresh green and arranged opposite each other. They reach a maximum length of 18 cm.
Blossom:
The flowering period is from May to June. The approximately 2 cm long, nodding flowers, arranged singly or in pairs, hang from the leaf axils, like a string of pearls. They are white with a greenish tip, tubular/cylindrical, almost bell-shaped, and faintly fragrant. After flowering, spherical, first green, then blue-black berries develop, which decorate the garden well into autumn.
Location requirements:
Solomon's seal requires cool, humus-rich, evenly moist, loamy, calcareous soil in partial shade to shade. The perennial also tolerates sunny locations, provided the soil is moist enough. Planting should take place in spring, ideally at 25 cm spacing. Four to six plants are needed per square meter.
Care:
The plant is very easy to care for. Only in spring do you need to watch out for snail infestation. Ample mulching at this time also promotes growth. The young plants must be watered regularly during development and must not be allowed to dry out. Solomon's seal only needs to be cut back to the ground in autumn. All parts of the plant are highly toxic, so wearing gloves when gardening is recommended. Propagation can be achieved by division in spring or before new growth appears, or by sowing. The seeds should be planted in late summer or autumn, but without the fleshy covering. You will then see the seedlings the following spring.
Recommended and special varieties:
'striatum'
This variety reaches a height of 100 cm and has cream-white striped flowers that are about twice as long as those of the Solomon's Seal described above.
'Weihenstephan'
Has the same flowers as its sister 'Striatum'. However, its leaves are a fresh green and unvariegated.
'Multi-flowered Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum)'
This species can even grow twice as large as its sister, reaching a height of up to 220 cm. It has a smooth, cylindrical stem, and its flowers hang in pairs or five at a time in the leaf axils.
TEXT: Swantje Holtmann
