Solomon's Seal and his relatives with lots of variety for shady places, even quite dry for some of them. Addictive if you like subtle green and brown plants with a bit of pink!
As you will see from a quick browse many of the Polygonatums look very different to the common cottage garden plant. This doesn't make them difficult to grow or needing different conditions, some of the narrow leafed species (particularly Polygonatum verticillatum) are actually easier to grow! You may also find that the narrow leafed forms are much less susceptible to the dreaded grey caterpillars of Solomon's Seal Sawfly.
The ideal conditions for moist forms are a good, humousy, soil that doesn't dry out in shade. Having said that the tougher species will grow in a much wider range of condidtions and will take summer drought in their stride as they die down by midsummer to re-emerge the following spring.
Upright red stippled stems with narrow, yellowish green, leaflets in whorls and clumps of straw-yellow flowers with green tips and red markings. Each leaf is equipped with a tendril on its tip.
A striking species with greyish green leaves and lots of large creamy bells with jade tips below the arching stems in late spring and early summer. Good, drained, soil in shade. 75cm.
A low growing Solomon's Seal relative with downy growth to 25cm and lots of white bells from green buds in spring. A good doer soon making a good clump in a shady border with reasonable soil.
A dwarf species with fresh green foliage and pendent white flowers with green tips in spring followed by black berries. 20cm. Good, leafy soil in shade.
A robust species close to the common P. odoratum this produces strong arching stems to 90cm dripping with relatively large white bells with jade-green tips in late spring. Good soil in shade.
An excellent, vigorous and floriferous selection collected in Russia in 1996 by the late Michael Wickenden. Grey green leaves and large creamy flowers in April/May. 90cm. Good soil in shade.
An excellent low growing Solomon's Seal with crisp green foliage and bright cream and jade green flared flowers in spring. Top plant. 30cm. Good soil in shade.
Slow and low growing this species has narrow leaves on short stems to 15cm topped with clusters of narrow sugar-pink bells in spring. Good woodsy soil in shade.
Upright stems with whorls of narrow leaves to 90cm. The clusters of narrow flowers appear in the leaf axils higher up the stems in late spring. Good, woodsy, soil in shade. Less attractive to sawfly.
Whorls of narrow leaves on slender stems to about 60cm. Smallish green bell-like flowers in late spring. The flowers and stems are often spotted reddish purple and the foliage has a purple flush when young. Late to emerge. Good, woodland soil in shade.
Collected by Richard Hobbs this tall form has particularly narrow leaves in whorls around the stems. Clusters of beige flowers in late spring. Good soil in shade, 1.2m.
