Evergreen Solomon's seal is a rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial native to shaded mountain forests and streambanks in China. It has a clumping habit and grows 1 to 1.5 feet tall and 1 foot wide. Individual plants appear erect with arching leaves along purple-speckled stems. The leaves are glossy, dark green, and measure up to 5 inches long. In late spring, it has dainty, creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers that dangle from the stem either singularly or in clusters. Small bluish-purple berries appear in the fall. It is a member of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). The specific epithet, pernyi, honors Paul Hubert Perny, a Catholic missionary to China in the late 1800s. Plant in partial to full shade in moist, well-drained, organically rich soils. It will spread by rhizomes in the garden to form clumps or colonies, naturalizing to form a groundcover. This plant is very similar to our native Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum . It has alternate, lance-shaped leaves, and its creamy-white flowers have green tips Evergreen Solomon's seal provides a lush green understory groundcover and naturalizes readily. It is perfect for a Shade Garden or woodland setting. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect pests or disease problems. Watch for slugs on tender young plants in the spring.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches; 12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in. | Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Clumping; Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Dark green, simple leathery, lanceolate to ellpitic leaves with entire margins.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Bell; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White to cream 3/4" tubular bell-shaped flowers bloom from May through June. They are often singular or appear in clusters of 2-3 on drooping pedicles that appear from the underside of each leaf axil.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Blue; Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Blue-purple berries that ripen in the early fall.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Green and speckled with purple.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
South China to Taiwan
Distribution
Native: China South-Central, China Southeast, and Taiwan
Play value
Shade
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Berry
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Riparian; Woodland
Landscape theme
Shade Garden
Garden tags
#clumping #leathery leaves #flowers late spring #flowers early summer #showy flowers #showy fruits #fruits fall #white flowers #heavy shade tolerant #stream banks #woodland #shade garden #mounding #partial shade #bell-shaped flowers #groundcover #woodland garden #understory planting #full shade