Polygonatum

Plant Characteristics

Origin:	✈	?

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water:	◍	?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.

Scientific Names

Read about Polygonatum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Polygonatum(Greek, many knee; alluding to the numerous joints of the rootstock). Liliaceae. Solomon's Seal. Perennial herbs, with simple stems from creeping knotted rootstocks, sometimes planted. Stems naked below, above bearing nearly sessile or half-clasping nerved lvs. and axillary nodding greenish fls.: perianth cylindrical, 6-lobed at the summit; stamens 6; ovary 3-celled with 2-6 ovules in each cell: berry globular, black or blue. About 60 species, widely distributed in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. The genus is distinguished from its nearest allies by the cylindrical perianth-tube with short lobes and small undivided style. Polygonatums are graceful in their habit, the unbranched arching sts. bearing pendulous, tubular fls. 1-10 in the axils. The name Solomon's seal is connected with the horizontal root- stocks which are scarred by the death of the annual stems, each scar being likened to a seal (see Smilacina). Polygonatums are best suited for partially or wholly shaded positions, although they do well in the open in a well-prepared border. They like a deep rich soil not subject to drought. Easily propagated by division. They are among the best subjects for wild gardening. P. multiflorum is used abroad considerably for forcing and for house plants. Our native species are presumably equally desirable for all purposes. The Solomon's seal of English literature is P. multiflorum, which is probably the commonest species native to Europe. There are several Himalayan and Japanese species. The common Solomon's seal of our nurseries is the European, P. multiflorum, the American kinds being listed only by specialists in native plants. The others here described are offered by Dutch bulb-growers. For extended articles on the forcing of P. multiflorum, see Gn. 26, p. 236 (or V. 7:337); 30, p. 49, and F.R. 3:594. P. intermodium as offered in the European trade is presumably P. intermedium, Dum., which is commonly considered nothing more than a form of P. multiflorum, All.—P. macranthum of foreign trade lists is botanically unknown. The plant offered in the American trade as P. majua is not known botanically, but it is said to grow 3 ft. high and bear pendent creamy fls. in May and June. Wilhelm Miller. F. Tracy Hubbard CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

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Propagation

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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