Spring-blooming, North American perennial Description: Greenish white, bell-shaped flowers hang, evenly spaced, below arching stems, followed by deep blue berries; pairs of smooth, medium green leaves held parallel to the ground; leaves turn yellow in the fall Habit: 1 to 3-foot-long stems; spreads by rhizomes to form colonies Culture: Prefers moist, humus-rich soil in light to deep shade. Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zones 3 through 9 Solomon's Seal is native to North American woodlands from Connecticut to Ontario and Nebraska, Florida, and Texas. It was introduced to Europe and Britain by 1824, but certainly observed much earlier by such naturalists as John Clayton, who lists Polygonatum in the 1730s. In 1793 Virginia gardener Jean Lady Skipwith of Prestwould listed Polygonatum as "our Jacobs Ladder." New York nurseryman Peter Henderson noted in Handbook of Plants, 1890: "A small genus of very handsome ... plants of easy culture and graceful habit, not often seen in the borders, but deserving a place in every collection of hardy plants."This plant will ship bare root. Grade: #1.Bare root planting tips: If you can't plant immediately, store your plant in a cool location and keep the roots moist or pot in a container with a nursery potting mix from your local garden center. Before planting, let the roots soak for several hours as you prepare the site. You'll want to dig a large enough hole so the root mass can spread out and the plant is at the same soil level as when it was growing in the nursery. Once planted, water it in well and wait a month before fertilizing. Mulching will help to maintain moisture and raise soil temperatures for faster growth.
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