Great Solomon’s Seal Big Blue Berries

Dames’ Rocket and many different clovers are blooming everywhere the last week of May. Just drive around the countryside and you’ll see their purple and pink hues at the road’s edge and in places where fields meet the forest.

Dames' Rocket Blooming Near the Great Solomon's Seal
Dames’ Rocket Blooming Near the Great Solomon’s Seal

Finally. I got to see a few specimens of the Great Solomon’s Seal near the Juniata River in Pennsylvania. For years I’ve seen the smaller Smooth Solomon’s Seal and the False Starry Solomon’s Seal, but not their bigger cousin before now.

Great Solomon's Seal Blooming Near Dame's Rocket
Great Solomon’s Seal Blooming Near Dame’s Rocket

Dangling Flowers of Great Solomon's Seal
Dangling Flowers of Great Solomon’s Seal

Taller than the pinkish-purple and white Dame’s Rocket, Great Solomon’s-Seal blossoms dangle in groups of 4 or 5 from the leaf axils.

Tall, sturdy stems arch over to display deeply ribbed leaves that come to a pointed end. The linear lines of the leaves are striking and seem to reinforce the shape of the arching main stem.

Arching Sturdy Stems from the Top of Great Solomon's Seal
Arching Sturdy Stems from the Top of Great Solomon’s Seal

(Photos above taken 28 May 2015. Click on any image to see a larger view.)

The Great Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum canaliculatum, plants photographed here were growing within a hundred meters of the river. The location was once completely forested and the plants growing here now live under the shade of small trees at the edge of a grassy field where they receive lots of morning sun.

The flowers within a cluster don’t open all at once, so you’ll see some creamy-yellow-green flowers just opening up while others have already been pollinated and are turning brown at the tips.

Cluster of Great Solomon's Seal Flowers That Dangle
Cluster of Great Solomon’s Seal Flowers That Dangle

The plant continues to produce flowers at the leaf nodes as it grows.

Great Solomon's Seal Continues to Flower As It Grows
Great Solomon’s Seal Continues to Flower As It Grows

Great Solomon's Seal Flowers From Afar
Great Solomon’s Seal Flowers From Afar
From afar the flowers can be quite noticeable, even though they are small. (Flower photos taken 6 Jun 2015.)

The dangling berries ripen in mid-July from light green to a dark, deep blue.

Clusters of Great Solomon's Seal Blue Berries Dangle Under Its Leaves
Clusters of Great Solomon’s Seal Blue Berries Dangle Under Its Leaves (Photo taken 12 Jul 2015.)

These berries are much bigger than those of Smooth Solomon’s Seal and quite different from the red delicious berries of False Solomon’s Seal. (Scroll down on that page to see the red berries.)

Great Solomon's Seal Blue Berries Hang on Through Fall
Great Solomon’s Seal Blue Berries Hang on Through Fall (Photo taken 23 Aug 2015.)

The berries hang on until fall and some probably through the wintertime.

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