Plant Of The Week: Solomon’s Seal
Kai Goldstein | April 10, 2025
Solomon’s Seal || Genus Polygonatum
A member of the lily family, this plant does not show off its flowers like other proud species. Instead, it politely dangles its aromatic blossoms beneath its foliage, making its reproductive status less evident to the casual human hiker than to the olfactory superpowers of an insect. Along with insects, Solomon’s Seal’s tubular flowers attract acrobatic hummingbirds. Historically, indigenous people prepared the plant’s tubers for food, even turning them into flour. Although it is edible, it is difficult to harvest without killing the individual plants, making it unsustainable unless you propagate more. The root has also been used as an emergency anti-inflammatory. Solomon’s Seal is especially tolerant to the shady microclimates at the base of trees, where it can often be found thriving. Among ferns, mayapples, or bleeding-hearts, you can expect to see this shy and beautiful plant in a community of other shade-loving understory plants.