What brilliant weather we are experiencing I have been out in my garden planting and playing with all my plants -one I have been given this year is Solomen's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)and what a beauty he is.
My daughter Elektra has sat under the flowering leafy shoots introducing one flower head to another and chatting away there for ages. They look not dissimilar to bells or something musical to me.....
So why is it called after the seal of Solomen??? I think that is the Star of David or 6 pointed star.....
'' The origin of the common English name of the plant is variously given. Dr. Prior tells us it comes from 'the flat, round scars on the rootstocks, resembling the impressions of a seal and called Solomon's, because his seal occurs in Oriental tales.'
Another explanation is that these round depressions, or the characters which appear when the root is cut transversely, and which somewhat resemble Hebrew characters, gave rise to the notion that Solomon 'who knew the diversities of plants and the virtues of roots,' has set his seal upon them in testimony of its value to man as a medicinal root.
Gerard maintained that the name Sigillum Solomons was given to the root partly because it bears marks something like the stamp of a seal, but still more because of the virtue the root hath in sealing and healing up green wounds, broken bones and such like, being stamp't and laid thereon.' ''
taken from Mrs. Gieves.
I also found this really interesting site www.solomonsseal.net with loads of info on the lush plant -I cannot wait to start using it ...woohoo exciting found another friend.
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