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Polygonatum humile

Dwarf Solomon's Seal

Family AsparagaceaeGenus Polygonatum

A colony of short unbranched stems, each carrying two ranks of oval ribbed leaves, covering bare woodland soil.
The whole plantRömertCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Ground Cover, Herbaceous Perennial, PerennialExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
rhizomatous geophytePlants of the World Online
Height
6-9 in15-25 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
1-1.5 ft30-45 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Green, WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
Spring, SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Amur, Buryatiya, China North-Central, Chita, Inner Mongolia, Japan and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
5-8Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Deep shade; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Clay, High Organic Matter, SandExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally WetExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

25% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Polygonatum p. 67Public domain
Show the original text
Polygonatum (üiiaceae). P. humile germ. 70D(2/8 nrioth w). The radicle developed an extensive root system, but a stem and leaves did not develop until the seedling had been subjected to 40-70-40-70 (a year of alternating cycles), and the leaf and stem did not develop until the 4th w in the last cycle at 70. Probably longer times at 40 and/or 70 would hasten leaf development, but it is clear that the rate of destruction of the growth inhibitors is slow.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Polygonatum p. 67. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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