Now (and in the fall) I gather Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum) to tincture, just before the tender green shoots reach for the sky. (You can eat those, too. But that’s for another day.)
Process: Dig up roots. Snap off end that’s reaching for the sky, leaving some healthy long roots attached. Replant with shoot peeking out of ground, pressing firmly to establish contact between soil and roots. Rinse thoroughly in cold water. It will take several goes to get the dirt out of all the crevices. Dice roots. Fill jar halfway with root bits. Cover well with vodka. (Add some Everclear if you have it or the liquid will get a sticky over time and your lid will stick.) Set on a shelf to extract for 6 weeks or more . Shake occasionally. Strain. Bottle and label. Lasts indefinitely. See articles below for dosage.
If you don’t know much about Solomon’s seal, you’re not alone. It’s kind of a quiet hero in the herbal world. I tinctured some up a few years ago, and we’ve never been without it since. Several of our team members use it daily to ease back pain. It’s a truly versatile and subtle herb for the medicine cabinet.
To learn more about its many properties of and applications, check out these sources:
Matthew Wood on Solomon’s Seal
Jim McDonald on Solomon’s Seal
It’s a shade loving perennial that forms a mass of roots underground, displacing weeds and adding structure to a woodland garden. Patrons who’d like access to this plant–to tincture or to grow in your own garden–should shoot us an email ([email protected]). We’ll be happy to send you home with some.
–Maria
(Photos provided by Appleseed Media.)
