Illustration
Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum
Solomon's Seal blooms from May through May.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Solomon's Seal
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. Expect it to reach about 2.5 ft tall and 1.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (a house reading).
Is Solomon's Seal toxic to dogs?
- Listed as toxic to dogs by Royal Horticultural Society.
- Not yet checked for cats.
- Listed as poisonous to people by NC State Extension and Royal Horticultural Society.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Solomon's Seal
Plant Solomon's Seal in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 8, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms in May.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Solomon's Seal get?
2.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult1.5 ftwideSee Solomon's Seal in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Solomon's Seal
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Solomon's Seal about 1.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Solomon's Seal to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Solomon's Seal's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags were checked against 6 published sources on October 20, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State Extensionheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- onlineplantguide.comOnline Plant Guideheight, spread, hardiness zones, water and bloom months and color
- Missouri Botanical Gardenheight, sun, bloom months and color and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societyheight, sun, water and bloom months and color
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Extensionsun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societybloom months and color
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Solomon's Seal
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Safety
Berries and the raw rhizome are purgative if eaten, causing vomiting and diarrhea; NC State rates the fruit poison severity Low. Keep them from children and pets. per NC State
Worth knowing
The young spring shoots can be cooked and eaten like asparagus, yet the raw berries and rhizome are purgative; thorough boiling is what makes them safe. per NC State and Frontiers in Pharmacology
Sawfly is a regional pest
In the UK and Europe the Solomon's seal sawfly can strip the plant bare; scout leaf undersides May to July. US gardeners rate it essentially pest-free. per RHS and NC State
Native depends on the species
American Solomon's seals (Polygonatum biflorum, commutatum, pubescens) are true North American natives, but the most popular garden form, variegated P. odoratum, is Old World, from Europe and Asia. per NC State
Spreads slowly into drifts
It creeps outward by underground rhizomes to form colonies, rather than staying a fixed clump. Divide the rhizomes in early spring or fall to propagate or contain it. per NC State
Tolerates deep shade
Unlike most part-shade plants, it grows all the way into deep shade with little or no direct sun, which makes it a staple of woodland and shade gardens. per NC State
Gold fall color
The foliage turns clear gold to yellow in autumn before the stems die back after frost, giving the plant a second season of interest. per Clemson
What pairs well with Solomon's Seal
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Hellebore
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Japanese Stewartia
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; stands well above at 16 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Meadow Rue
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 4 ft, for the layer behind it.
Wishbone Flower
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border.
Rhododendron
Shares part shade and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into early summer; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Beautyberry
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Eastern Redbud
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; a soft color beside the white.
Goatsbeard
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; taller at 4 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
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