False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum Racemosum)

Features and Characteristics

Maianthemum racemosum, commonly called false Solomon’s seal, is a Missouri native wildflower that occurs in rich woods throughout the State. A clump-forming perennial which typically grows 2-3′ tall and slowly spreads by thick rhizomes, often forming large colonies in the wild. Features unbranched, gracefully arching stems of alternate, oval, pointed, light green leaves with conspicuously parallel veins. Tiny, fragrant, creamy white flowers appear at the stem ends in terminal, plumy, spirea-like racemes (hence the species name) in spring. Flowers are followed by greenish berries which turn an attractive ruby red in summer, often persisting into fall unless earlier consumed by wildlife. Foliage turns a respectable yellow in fall. Foliage resembles that of the true Solomon’s seals (Polygonatum spp.), but the latter have distinctly different flowers (i.e., bell-shaped flowers which droop from the leaf axils all along the stems).

Genus name comes from the Greek words Maios meaning “May” and anthemon meaning “blossom”.

Specific epithet means with flowers in racemes.