| Where the garden meets the wild | ||
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POLYGONATUM SOLOMON'S SEAL, huang jing shu 黄精属 Liliaceae (Lily family) / Convallariaceae (Lily-of-the-valley family) |
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The Solomon's seals are rhizomatous lily cousins that rise like green feathers from meadows or the forest floor and spread to form clumps and masses that rustle in the breeze. We love them, but there are dozens of kinds, many quite similar for garden purposes. We present a few standouts. If you like Polygonatum, you will probably like Streptopus, Maianthemum, Disporum and Prosartes, too. |
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| Polygonatum
cirrhifolium (Wallich) Royle. 卷叶黄精
Juan ye huang jing (Chinese).
Rhizome. $9.00 |
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Photograph © Paige Woodward |
Polygonatum graminifolium
W.J.
Hooker. This elfin frond with tiny, scented
pink bells is native to sunny alpine meadows in the Himalaya that are wet
in summer. Its rose-pink flowers bloom in June-July in the upper
axils of its grassy
leaves, to be succeeded by rosy fruits in autumn. We blush not to have not
photographed this treasure in flower by now, but you can find images on
the Internet. It spreads on rhizomes to produce attractive clumps. We are growing
it both in the open garden, under lilies; and in a
trough that is watered in summer and protected from rain n winter. Our plants descend from material
collected in Nepal in 1973 by Chris Grey-Wilson. Height 5-10 cm
(2-4"). Zone 6, probably colder.
Rhizome. $6.00 |
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Photograph © A.M.D. Hoog |
Polygonatum
hirtum (Poir.) Pursh.
Rhizome. $9.00 |
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Photograph © Paige Woodward |
Polygonatum
hookeri Baker.
独花黄精
Du hua huang jing
(Chinese).
This
is a diminutive, mat-forming treasure with pink flowers in May-June. It is
native to fairly high alpine turf in a wide swathe from the Himalaya
through China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces. Height to 10 cm
(4"). Zone 6, perhaps colder.
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Photograph © A.M.D. Hoog
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Polygonatum
odoratum 'Flore Pleno' This
is an uncommon treasure. Please don't mistake it for other cultivars. Its
gracefully arching stalks can be 1 m (3') tall. Double flowers dangle all down the stalk, below each leaflet. The leaflets are not
variegated, thank heaven.
Rhizome. $17.00 |
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Photograph © Paige Woodward |
Polygonatum
macranthum (Maxim.) Koidz.
オオナルコユリ
Oonarukoyuri
(Japanese). One to four long white bells dangle from the axils of
tall, arching stalks. Height to 120 cm (48"). Native to Japan and the
Koreas. Our plants are of Japanese origin. Zone 6, perhaps colder.
Rhizome.$10.00 |
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Photographs © Paige Woodward |
Polygonatum
'Multifide'. This is a
great plant! It starts as a grey-green single stem, then forks into big,
gracefully contorted branches from which dangle narrow, greenish-white, bell-like
flowers followed by dark blue berries in autumn. Of
unknown pedigree, it may have been growing quietly in European gardens for
centuries. Might it be a sport of P. multiflorum? Our plants
descend from material received from the Amsterdam Botanic Garden. Height
40-50 cm (16-20"). Zone 6,
possibly colder.
Rhizome.
$12.00 |
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Photograph © G.M. Pradhan |
Polygonatum
oppositifolium (Wallich) Royle.
叶黄精
Dui ye huang jing
(Chinese).
Arching, almost vertical stems with leathery, opposite, shiny leaves rise
in spring. From the axils in May dangle clusters of tubular white bells
with streaky violet pinstripes. Red berries follow in late summer. This plant is
often epiphytic, preferring to grow on cool, damp, mossy rocks and trees.
Native to the eastern Himalaya: India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet
(Xizang). In gardens, it does well in moist, rich humus in part shade.
Height 40-60 cm (16-24"). Zone 6, possibly colder.
(Chinese).
Arching, almost vertical stems with leathery, opposite, shiny leaves rise
in spring. From the axils in May dangle clusters of tubular white bells
with streaky violet pinstripes. Red berries follow in late summer. This plant is
often epiphytic, preferring to grow on cool, damp, mossy rocks and trees.
Native to the eastern Himalaya: India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet
(Xizang). In gardens, it does well in moist, rich humus in part shade.
Height 40-60 cm (16-24"). Zone 6, possibly colder.
(Chinese).
Arching, almost vertical stems with leathery, opposite, shiny leaves rise
in spring. From the axils in May dangle clusters of tubular white bells
with streaky violet pinstripes. Red berries follow in late summer. This plant is
often epiphytic, preferring to grow on cool, damp, mossy rocks and trees.
Native to the eastern Himalaya: India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet
(Xizang). In gardens, it does well in moist, rich humus in part shade.
Height 40-60 cm (16-24"). Zone 6, possibly colder.
(Chinese).
Rhizome. $9.00 |
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Photograph © Paige Woodward |
Polygonatum sp. from Mt. Sefuri. Our plants are grown from seeds collected by our friend Jason Nehring in S Japan, on Mt. Sefuri, near Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu. We have not yet seen the flowers but Jason says the plant is striking and majestic. We know this much: He has taste in plants. At left you see only seedlings. The plants are now mature enough for your garden. Height about 1 m (3.2'). Zone 6, possibly colder. Rhizome. $12.00 |
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| This page was updated March 8, 2008 | ||
