Maianthemum racemosum

Solomon’s Plume is a widespread perennial, reported in all of the U.S. mainland states, but conspicuously almost entirely absent from the coastal plain from NC down to Florida and over to Texas and throughout the great plains. It is abundant here in the piedmont, with gracefully arching, unbranched stems reaching up to three feet in length, growing in drifts in the forest understory inside our deer fence together with Solomon’s Seal, Partridgeberry and Coral Honeysuckle. The beautiful, leaves of the Solomon’s Plume, with their shiny veneer and parallel venation, are alternately arranged and distributed evenly along the stem. The delightfully fragrant flowers form a cream-colored plume at the end of the stems. The unripened berries of Solomon’s Plume are a creamy green color and ripening to reddish. Each plant gives rise to 5-6 others, resulting in their colonial habit. This is a wonderful plant for shaded southern woodland gardens. The berries are also widely eaten by birds and small mammals, making it important for wildlife. This plant has received the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.