Description
Polygonatum humile is a very dwarf (humile means ‘low”) Solomon’s Seal from Japan and China with short, upright stems, only about 10-15 cm tall. These stems are clothed with small alternate, short, broad, pleated leaves packed tightly along the length. These spring from a compact nest of interwoven, thin, slightly creeping rhizomes which will, in time, form a nice compact clump. In this beautifully and strongly variegated form the leaves are broadly striped with creamy white, which appears to be yellow in some lights.
The flowers are borne in the axils of the upper leaves and despite being small (this is a dwarf species after all) they are surprisingly large in relation to the short stems. The flowers are white, tipped with green and have a faint and pleasant Christmas cake scent in still warm weather. Sometimes blue-black berries will follow.
This prefers a humus-rich soil in light shade, though it will take sun or deeper shade. Fully hardy here over many years and a lovely, quiet addition to a shade or peat garden.
