Description: This native perennial plant is about 2-3' tall and unbranched. The central stem is glabrous, glaucous, and round in circumference; it leans over to one side. The alternate leaves are up to 6" long and 4" across; they are spaced fairly close together along the stem. These leaves are ovate and glabrous; they have parallel veins and clasp the stem.
From the upper axils of the middle and
upper leaves, there are nodding umbels of 1-5 flowers (rarely more than this).
A typical plant will have 12-20 of these umbels, which hang below the leaves.
The peduncle and pedicels of each umbel are slender and green. The flowers are
whitish green or pale yellowish green and about 2/3–3/4" in length. Each
flower has a narrow tubular shape with 6 small lobes that are slightly
recurved. Within the interior of this flower, there is a pistil with a single
style and 6 stamens. The blooming period occurs during late spring or early
summer and lasts about 3 weeks. Each flower is replaced by a spheroid berry
that is about 1/3–1/2" across. This berry is initially green, but it
eventually becomes dark blue-violet. The root system produces rhizomes that are
rather stout and knobby; on the upper surface of these rhizomes, there are
circular scars. This plant often forms colonies.
Cultivation: Typical growing conditions are light
shade to partial sun, mesic levels of moisture, and fertile loamy soil. This
plant is fairly rugged and tolerates less than ideal conditions. The foliage
persists all summer and is rarely bothered by disease.
Range & Habitat: Solomon's Seal is a common
plant that occurs in every county of Illinois (see
Distribution
Map). Habitats include moist to slightly dry deciduous woodlands, shady
seeps, young flatwoods, woodland borders, and fencerows that are overgrown with
shrubs or trees. Less often, this plant
may occur in meadows near woodlands and mesic
prairies. Solomon's Seal occurs in both high quality and degraded
woodlands.
Faunal Associations: The
nectar and pollen of the flowers attract various long-tongued bees, including
bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, and Little Carpenter bees. The Ruby-Throated
Hummingbird also sucks nectar from the flowers. Short-tongued Halictid bees may
visit the flowers to collect pollen, but they are not effective pollinators.
The berries are eaten by the Greater Prairie Chicken and various birds of the
woodlands. White-Tailed Deer are quite fond of the foliage and will chomp off
the tops of plants to about 6" above the ground.
Photographic Location: Along a shady fencerow near
the webmaster's apartment complex in Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: The foliage of Solomon's Seal is
attractive, while the flowers aren't very showy. Other Polygonatum spp.
in Illinois have a similar appearance, but they are far less common. One
species, Polygonatum pubescens (Pubescent Solomon's Seal) is pubescent
on the undersides of its leaves (particularly along the veins), while the
undersides of the leaves of Solomon's Seal are hairless. Another species,
Polygonatum biflorum (Small Solomon's Seal), is slightly smaller in size
and has sessile leaves, while the leaves of Solomon's Seal clasp the central
stem. Another group of plants with similar foliage, Smilacina spp.
(False Solomon's Seals), produce terminal panicles of flowers, while
Polygonatum spp. (Solomon's Seals) produce non-terminal umbels of
flowers from the axils of the leaves.