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Plant care

Great Solomon's Seal (Giant Solomon's Seal) care

Polygonatum commutatum

Also called Great Solomon's Seal, Giant Solomon's Seal, Smooth Great Solomon's Seal.

RHS H7USDA 3-9Toxic to petsIndoor 90-200 cm tall (3-6.5 ft)

Watering rhythm

4-6days

Every 4-6 days in active growth; drought-tolerant once established

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Light

Low light (north window or shaded room)

Soil

Rich, humus-laden, moist to moist-wet, well-drained to moderately drained loam; pH 6.0-7.5

Humidity

Moderate to high — 50-70% RH

Temp

-40°C to 28°C

Pet safety

Toxic to pets

Mature size

90-200 cm tall (3-6.5 ft)

Care at a glance

Light

Great Solomon's Seal is a useful plant for the room nobody else likes — the north-facing hallway, the basement office, the windowless bathroom with the ceiling LED. Prefers partial to full shade, thriving in the moist, dappled light of riparian and lowland woodlands. Tolerates quite deep shade but flowering and vigour are best with some ambient brightness. Protect from hot afternoon direct sun, which scorches the large leaves. Expect slow growth and pale new leaves; that's the cost of low light, not a sign anything is wrong.

Watering

Aim for every 4-6 days in active growth; drought-tolerant once established for great solomon's seal, but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Naturally found in moist, even wet woodland soils and stream margins. Prefers consistently moist conditions during the growing season. Tolerates occasional flooding better than most Polygonatum species. Once established, also tolerates drier spells. Avoid sustained dryness in its first growing season.

Soil and pot

Great Solomon's Seal grows best in rich, humus-laden, moist to moist-wet, well-drained to moderately drained loam; ph 6.0-7.5. Thrives in deep, organically rich woodland soil. More tolerant of moist-to-wet conditions than other Solomon's seals — suitable for rain gardens or damp borders. Incorporate generous amounts of compost or leaf mould at planting. Annual mulch helps maintain moisture and fertility. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Great Solomon's Seal sits happiest at around Moderate to high — 50-70% RH humidity and -40°C to 28°C (-40°F to 82°F). Native to moist riparian woodland environments with naturally higher ambient humidity. Performs best in cooler, moister garden conditions. In hot, dry climates, consistent soil moisture and mulching are essential to maintain health. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed great solomon's seal sparingly. Annual autumn application of leaf mould or well-rotted compost is ideal. In poor soils, a balanced slow-release fertiliser in early spring supports the substantial growth of this large species. Established colonies in fertile woodland soil need little supplemental feeding. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on great solomon's seal in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Slug and snail damage — Large, succulent emerging shoots are highly attractive to slugs and snails in spring. Apply ferric phosphate pellets around crowns as soon as growth emerges. Established plants suffer less visible damage but young transplants can be severely set back.
  • Solomon's seal sawfly — Related sawfly species can cause rapid defoliation of stems in early summer. Inspect regularly from late spring and remove grey larvae by hand. Given the dramatic height of this species, damaged plants are conspicuous. Plants fully recover the following year.
  • Windrock and stem breakage — At full height (up to 2 m), tall stems can be damaged by strong winds or heavy rain. Situate in a sheltered spot or stake lightly. In exposed positions, the colony's density provides some mutual support.

Propagation

Divide the spreading rhizomes in early spring as shoots emerge or in autumn during full dormancy. Cut rhizomes into sections, each with at least one healthy growth bud, and replant at 8-10 cm depth in prepared, humus-rich soil. Keep moist until established. Seed requires cold stratification and 2-3 years to reach flowering size — division is the preferred method. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Great Solomon's Seal is toxic to pets. All plant parts, especially the blue-black berries produced in autumn, contain saponins, anthraquinone glycosides, and cardiotoxic heterosides. Ingestion causes vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain; berries are the highest-risk part. Polygonatum commutatum is not individually listed by ASPCA, but the Polygonatum genus is documented as toxic to humans and pets in veterinary and horticultural literature. Keep berries well away from children and pets. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Great Solomon's Seal care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Polygonatum commutatum?

Polygonatum commutatum is most commonly called Great Solomon's Seal, but it is also known as Great Solomon's Seal, Giant Solomon's Seal, Smooth Great Solomon's Seal. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Great Solomon's Seal apply identically to anything sold as Giant Solomon's Seal.

How much light does great solomon's seal need?

Great Solomon's Seal grows best in low light (north window or shaded room). Prefers partial to full shade, thriving in the moist, dappled light of riparian and lowland woodlands. Tolerates quite deep shade but flowering and vigour are best with some ambient brightness. Protect from hot afternoon direct sun, which scorches the large leaves.

How often should I water great solomon's seal?

Water great solomon's seal every 4-6 days in active growth; drought-tolerant once established. Naturally found in moist, even wet woodland soils and stream margins. Prefers consistently moist conditions during the growing season. Tolerates occasional flooding better than most Polygonatum species. Once established, also tolerates drier spells. Avoid sustained dryness in its first growing season. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is great solomon's seal toxic to cats and dogs?

Great Solomon's Seal is toxic to pets. All plant parts, especially the blue-black berries produced in autumn, contain saponins, anthraquinone glycosides, and cardiotoxic heterosides. Ingestion causes vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain; berries are the highest-risk part. Polygonatum commutatum is not individually listed by ASPCA, but the Polygonatum genus is documented as toxic to humans and pets in veterinary and horticultural literature. Keep berries well away from children and pets.

What USDA hardiness zone does great solomon's seal grow in?

Great Solomon's Seal is rated for USDA zone 3-9 and RHS hardiness H7. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Great Solomon's Seal deep-dive guides

Every aspect of great solomon's seal care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Great Solomon's Seal qualifies for 7 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

  • Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
  • Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
  • Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
  • Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
  • Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
  • Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
  • Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
  • Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Great Solomon's Seal is also known as Great Solomon's Seal, Giant Solomon's Seal, and Smooth Great Solomon's Seal.