Maianthemum stellatum
North American woodland perennial with creeping rhizomes, white star-shaped flowers in late spring, and berries that progress from green to red to black, forming a distinctive woodland ground cover that supports pollinators.
Common Names
Starry False Solomon's Seal, Star-Flowered Solomon's-Seal, Starflower Solomon's Seal, Starry False Lily Of The Valley, Starflower
Summary
Maianthemum stellatum, Starry False Solomon’s Seal, is a North American native creeping rhizomatous perennial with upright flowering stems and arching habit. It forms ground-covering colonies via wide-spreading rhizomes; leaves are alternate and clasp the stems. In late spring to early summer, stems bear sprays of 6–15 white, star-shaped, lightly scented flowers in a terminal raceme, followed by green berries with blue-purple stripes that mature to red with black stripes, and then to black. It reaches about 8–24 inches tall and 10–24 inches wide, and occurs in moist woods, along streambanks, and open rocky hillsides, making it suitable for woodland gardens or naturalized areas.
In cultivation, it prefers partial to full shade and moist, well-drained soils, tolerating a range of textures from clay to sand and thriving in woodland settings; it suits woodland gardens, naturalized areas, ground covers, or underplanting for shrubs. It spreads by creeping rhizomes to form colonies; propagation is by seed or division; maintenance is minimal and it is not considered invasive.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
8-24 inches
Spread
12-24 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-7
Sunlight Requirements
Ideal sunlight is Partial Shade to Full Sun.
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained, humus-rich loamy soil
Soil Drainage
Moist but well-drained soil.
Soil pH
5.0-7.0
Acidic to neutral
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Yellow
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Slow
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees and other pollinators, Attracts moths, Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) Link
- Publication
- Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 1: 343 (1821)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Genus
- Maianthemum
Synonyms
Asteranthemum stellatum Asteranthemum vulgare Smilacina sessilifolia Smilacina stellata Smilacina liliacea Tovaria sessilifolia Tovaria stellata Unifolium liliaceum Unifolium stellatum Vagnera sessilifolia Vagnera stellata Vagnera angustifolia Vagnera leptopetala Vagnera liliacea Smilacina stellata var. sessilifolia Smilacina stellata var. sylvatica Smilacina stellata f. paniculata Smilacina stellata var. uniflora Convallaria stellata Asteranthemum vulgare var. uniflorum Unifolium sessilifolium Smilacina stellata var. crassa Vagnera stellata var. mollis Convallaria hybrida