Woodland Harvest: Solomon's Seal

Solomon's Seal is one of my favorite woodland plants,
with its distinctively graceful arches hung with clusters of creamy bells.
Here in Pennsylvania it would be a common sight in our deciduous woods,
were it not one of the preferred foods of the overabundant whitetail deer,
but, alas, it is, and as a result is rarely seen hereabouts.
 Luckily, it flourishes under cultivation,
and can be a striking presence in the shade garden.

These stately Solomon's seals, tucked under a large dogwood in the side yard, have been here for at least 15 years. Now they are fully three and a half feet tall, despite competition from the English ivy.

I came across this drawing in a journal from 2007.
The text is from Tis Mal Crow

 

"Polygonatun biflorum  

According the Muskogee People, the top part of the plant is used for fatigue. It helps get your blood sugar back in balance, and provides a burst of energy from carbohydrates. The fresh leaves are tinctured in grain alcohol fresh in the fall.A small amount of tincture under the tongue can releave late afternoon fatigue, like coffee but without the post-caffeine side-effects."
 

The knobby rhizomes are soft and slice easily. Their taste is delicious and sweet!

Here the distinctive 'seals' are evident

 

The roots of Solomon Seal are a specific medicine for joints, muscles and tendons. A tincture of the fresh roots in 100 proof Vodka can be used whenever there is damage to the joints: dislocations, strains, sprains, etc. It is especially helpful for torn ligaments, ruptured discs and connective tissue damage.  In combination with lobelia, it works on carpel tunnel problems; as a warm fomentation applied directly on the wrist, and internally, as well.

Matthew Wood, in The Earthwise Herbal asserts that it can help adjust the tension on the tendons, as well as soothing the digestive tract in cases of severe intestinal inflammation. Solomon's seal is also said to tonify the sexual system, both male and female, and can strengthen the tendons holding the uterus.

Here the sliced rhizomes are steeping in strong 100 proof Vodka.  They will extract for about two weeks, and then be strained through unbleached muslin and stored in labeled brown bottles.

Replanted in my new side garden along with its cousin Lily of the Valley and shade-loving coleus, these Solomon's Seals will soon form a nice colony, ready to be sustainably harvested in a couple more years.