by Leslie Cox; Saturday; March 31, 2018

Things are springing up out of the ground! In particular, the red-tipped, pointed nubs of my variegated Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’, are poking up almost 2 inches (5 cm).

I do love this plant! It has proven itself to be bullet tough in my front garden.

Right off the top, this plant thrives in the island bed, situated between two mature trees…meaning it holds its own against large tree roots. Rarely does it exhibit stress from lack of moisture, although I do water the hostas in this bed regularly so will throw some water at the Solomon’s Seal too. But as they are on a slope and the tree roots are quite adept at taking most of the moisture for themselves, the Solomon’s Seal does not get much.

Another endearing feature of this plant…it has not been bothered by any pests or diseases. So far. This could be because all parts of the plant are harmful if ingested…but that warning really refers to humans and pets. There are many pest insects which tolerate the toxins in their host plant. Case in point, the Monarch butterfly larvae are not harmed by the toxins in the milkweed plant they feed on almost exclusively. Having said that, I have yet to find any feeding damage on the Solomon’s Seal. (I say that quietly, though!)

And if these accolades are not enough, this patch of Solomon’s Seal just plain looks good. Tall stems gently bend at the top. Medium green, elliptical-shaped leaves are faintly edged with white. Small white, lightly fragrant, bell-shaped flowers dangle in pairs along the upper half of the stem.

The combination of all of these features produce a plant which sits quietly in the garden, seemingly unassuming, and yet…noticeable for its shape and its quiet backdrop for the more eye-catching feature plants I have placed in this bed.

Two years ago I found a dwarf Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum humile) in a nursery. Just had to buy it! This adorable plant only gets about 8 inches (20 cm) tall, but still has the same gently arching shape and hanging bell-shaped flowers…only in miniature. Oh, and this one is not variegated. I have placed this one under the living room window amongst the ferns and heucheras. It did spread a little in its second year in the garden, but this is, supposedly, a slow-spreading plant. Time will tell.