A False Solomon Seal collected by the good folks at Crug Farm Nursery during a plant hunting trip to Central America.  They found this once common species in Guatemala relegated to remnant populations at higher altitudes above 9000 feet where it found it spread rhizomatously to form small colonies.   White flowers and mulch well in winter.

Pretty cool False Solomon's Seal whose terminal display of small, narrow-tubed yellowish to green flowers carries more interest than might be implied.  This is genetically distinct from the white flowered M. henryi from Yunnan and has a pure, sweeter fragrance than the more cloying white form.  We love them both.  Sometimes seen as the invalid species ginfushanica.

False Solomon Seal. This Chinese species is one of our favorites in the shade garden and we delight in its ribbed leaves with elegantly understated small violet daubing at the base of each leaflet followed by the precise detail in the small greenish flowers. In the late summer into fall, it has strut-your-stuff full heads of bright orange fruit.

If Thomas Hardy had written a book based on this plant, he would have tiltled it "Fusca the Obscure".  Or Poe "Descent into the Plant Maelstrom".  BIO -Botanical Interest Only.  If you buy this we're doing an intervention on you and get you into the Plant 12-Step Program.  You need help.

A collection from Guatemala at 8000'-9000' by Josh McCullough where he found this gowing both epiphytically on Oak trees and terrestrially.  Cool new world False Solomon's Seal that is likely best brought in during the winter.  We haven't flowered it but this has long 10" pedicels.

A collection by PT's own Josh McCullough from Volcan Azul in Guatemala at around 10,000'.  This grows both epiphytically and terrestrially.  Fab narrow pleated leaves with terminal drooping panicles of flowers backed in lavender-pink with pale faces followed by shiny red berries.

If I were of the appropriate rank, I would knight this plant.  Grant it sainthood.  Commute its sentence whatever the crime.  Give no limit on its credit card.  As it is, we wash it's feet in the finest dairy manure and pledge fealty.   Asian False Solomon Seal to 5'+ with big clusters of light purple flowers.  Holy oleraceum!

This is from a collection of ours from North Dakota where its glaucous-green leaves looked most appealing.  Small starry white flowers in May and June and the subsequent fruit is most appealing - to us anyway - when immature as the round green "peas" are decked out in dark stripes.  This will spread a foot or so a year and you can eat the new shoots to keep it in check.

Staggeringly good False Solomon Seal from China which owns its corner of our shade garden when it is in bloom.  The very gratifying terminal white flowers are a reward unto themselves but on a big clump like we have, the fragrance from these makes this a multi-sensory experience of the very best sort.

Dwarf False Lily of the Valley.  This wee woodlander as a species is native to western Europe and Japan with this tiny-leafed form likely from Japan.  This is sometimes offered under any number of names and we got this one from Michael Wickenden of Cally Gardens.  Small white flowers.

One of the finest False Solomon Seal's around and rarely obtainable. These are spirit-breakingly slow to grow from seed and the time required to grow plants to flowering size which these should be calls into question our business acumen. However, these are of such perfection when mature with stout 24"-30" stems arching gracefully and each bearing a terminal plume of flashy white flowers.

One of the finest False Solomon Seal's around and rarely obtainable. These are spirit-breakingly slow to grow from seed and the time required to grow plants to flowering size which these should be calls into question our business acumen. However, these are of such perfection when mature with stout 24"-30" stems arching gracefully and each bearing a terminal plume of flashy white flowers.