The illustrated growing guide
Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum biflorum
Family Asparagaceae
Est. zones 3-8
One of the most elegant shade natives — long arching stems strung with paired white bells in spring, visited by bumblebees and hummingbirds, then blue berries and glowing golden fall foliage. It forms a graceful, long-lived colony and the variegated form brightens deep shade beautifully. Deer-resistant and serene; grow it for the arching form (the young shoots are edible cooked, but the berries are not).
Part Shade to Full Shade
Moderate water
Slow-Moderate growth
Deer-resistant
Native to North America
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing solomon's seal? Hang it.
Our Woodland Flowers collection carries solomon's seal — Polygonatum biflorum, print Nº 10, “Solomons Seal.”
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will solomon's seal suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what solomon's seal actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-8Solomon's Seal at a glance
Common solomon's seal problems
- Almost none
- Almost none
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow solomon's seal: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate solomon's seal
III
The year
What solomon's seal asks for, month by month.
The solomon's seal year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The solomon's seal year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May bloom
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Solomon's Seal in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
What solomon's seal is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesBerries mildly toxic raw; young cooked shoots historically edible — grow primarily as an ornamental
Harvesting & storing solomon's seal
Blue-black berries feed birds; young shoots historically eaten (asparagus-like, cooked).
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of solomon's seal, ruled as a catalogue.
Best solomon's seal varieties & cultivars
Species; variegated P. odoratum 'Variegatum' (the garden favorite)
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to solomon's sealyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Questions
Solomon's Seal questions, answered straight.
Do deer eat solomon's seal?
Rarely — solomon's seal is considered deer-resistant, which makes it one of the safer unfenced choices in deer country. Hungry deer in a hard winter test every rule, but it's a low-risk pick.
Is solomon's seal safe for kids and pets?
With care. Berries mildly toxic raw; young cooked shoots historically edible — grow primarily as an ornamental Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
When do you harvest solomon's seal?
Blue-black berries feed birds; young shoots historically eaten (asparagus-like, cooked).
How do you propagate solomon's seal?
Division or seed.
IX
Elsewhere
Where solomon's seal sits in the library.
Common Milkweed
Ironweed
Cup Plant
Helen's Flower (Sneezeweed)