Into the Woods: The Ethnobotany of Western Washington

Agong’osiminun

(Chippewa tribe)

False Solomon's Seal

Maianthemum racemosum

By Avril

Description:

False Solomon’s seal is a perennial that has glossy green leaves and many clusters of creamy white flowers. Their leaves can grow from 5 to 15 cm in length, which are remarkably parallel veined. Their cream-like flowers are quite small and fragrant, with small, bright red berries protruding from the stem. The berries are normally in large clusters and when unripe they can be green and dirt brown.(Turner 51)

Traditional Uses:

False Solomon’s seal berries are edible, although not remarkably appetizing, their berries are eaten by various Native American tribes. The Kwakwaka’wakw people occasionally eat raw False Solomon’s seal berries. The Gitksan boil the roots and drink the tea of the roots to help soothe sore backs, kidney trouble or inflammation. They also use the mashed plant for covering cuts. (MacKinnon et al. 100)

Growing Information:

False Solomon’s seal is mostly found in damp woodlands, or along river banks. (Turner 51)

If you're thinking of adding this glossy plant to the garden, you'll wanna remember where you planted it, since it will disappear during winter, but will start to appear again in the spring. (Kruckeberg and Chalker-Scott 173)

(Working on this bit)

Works Cited

Densmore, Frances. How Indians Use Wild Plants for Food, Medicine and Crafts. New York City, Dover Publications, 1974.

I used this book to get an indigenous name for False Solomon's seal.

Giblin, David. False Solomon's Seal. Burke Herbarium, burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Maianthemum%20racemosum. Accessed 2 May 2024.

I used David Giblin's photo of False Solomon's seal for an image of its white flowers.

Gladwin, H. Tim. Maianthemum racemosum. Burke Herbarium, burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Maianthemum%20racemosum. Accessed 2 May 2024.

I used this photograph by H. Tim Gladwin for an image of the berries and leaves of False Solomon's seal.

Kovalchik, Bud. Maianthemum racemosum. Burke Herbarium, burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Maianthemum%20racemosum. Accessed 2 May 2024.

I used this photograph by Bud Kovalchik to show the full scale of False Solomon's seal.

Kruckeberg, Arthur R., and Linda Chalker-Scott. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. 3rd ed., Seattle, U of Washington P, 2019.

I used information from this book about gardening with native plants for the growing section, and I also used it for my description of the False Solomon's Seal.

MacKinnon, A., et al. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast : Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. Richmond, Lone Pine Publishing, 1994.

I used this book for information on the Indigenous uses of False Solomon's seal.

Turner, Nancy J. Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples. Vancouver, Royal British Columbia Museum, 2020.

This book of edible food of coastal first peoples helped me gather information on the description and growing information.

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