I added a couple of plants two years ago, and already this plant is exploring new territories in the woodland garden. It does not produce a dense growth, however, so it plays nice with the other plants (ferns and other assorted groundcovers) in that particular section. As the name states, this little false Solomon’s Seal has small star shaped flowers. Dispersal of the plant is generally done by birds distributing the seeds. It will send out rhizomes to spread locally as well. The plant is an early colonizer after wildfires, as long as the fire does not burn the deeper soil layers. Smilacina stellata can be found in the northern states from Alaska down to California, across Canada and the midwest to New England.
| Scientific name: | Smilacina stellata (synonym: Maianthemum stellatum) |
| Common name: | star flowered false solomon’s seal |
| Other name: | starry flowered solomon’s seal, starry false lilly of the valley |
| Bloom time: | mid spring to early summer |
| Color: | white to near white, pale green |
| Light requirements: | partial shade to full shade |
| Zone: | 3 to 7 |
| Soil: | strongly acidic to mildly acidic |
| Water: | moist |
| Origin: | all of North America except for the most southern states |
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