Dwarf Solomon’s Seal Has a Place in the Shade

Dwarf Solomon’s seal is making its second appearance in the Landless Gardener’s new shade garden. As with all smaller plants, special care should be taken to plant it where it can be easily seen while walking along the garden path and close to a place that is convenient to stop and even rest to enjoy the plant.

Reaching 9 inches tall, this little woodland plant rewards our closer observation with tiny white bell-shape flowers in the spring and glossy, clean, pale green leaves the rest of the season. In the right conditions—moist, organic rich soil in the shade—dwarf Solomon’s seal will spread via rhizomes to make a groundcover. It is not intrusive or too dense making it a low-maintenance selection.

Botanical name:Polygonatum humile
Common name: dwarf Solomon’s seal
Height: 9 inches
Spread: 1–1.5 feet via rhizomes
Flower: Showy, greenish-white
Bloom time: May–June
Sun requirements: Part to full shade
Water: Medium to moist
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–8

Install in moist, humus-rich soil in the shade for best results. In the Landless Gardener’s new shade garden, the soil is rather damp but on the clay side. A generous amount of pine-fine amendments was added the previous year before planting dwarf Solomon’s seal and this year, the plant returned and has spread a bit, too.

Photo courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery