Tag Archives: Solomon’s Plume

Plumes To Berries

In May Solomon’s Plume (Maianthemum racemosum) blooms. A cluster of snow white, or off white, star shaped, feathery flowers, on the end of each stem. Now as summer is thinking of closing down, those flowers have become berries. Berries, bright red with stripes or speckles of purple or brown. A few seeds in each berry.

Native to a good bit of the eastern half of North America. Arching stems, holding alternate bright green leaves, which sometimes will grow to 3 feet tall.

Showing up trail side now here on my mountain.

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Blooms To Berries

A good distance up past our gate, at the edge of the narrow dirt road, there is a patch of Solomon’s Plume (Maianthemum racemosum) blending in with the other plants so that they’re hardly noticed.

The herbaceous perennials each send up a single, unbranched stem. This stem is topped with a panicle of 20 to 80 snow white flowers. See those tiny tree-like clusters of flowers surrounding the stem? This is what is called a panicle of flowers. They are blooming right now, up the dirt road. Many will pass by and not even notice. You must go slowly as you hike the mountain if you want to see such interesting things.

Summer watches as the flowers become berries. By mid-August they are red, or red and purple-striped berries. Birds, such as Ruffed Grouse and Veery will eat the berries and help spread the seeds throughout the woods.

And I’ll enjoy seeing the plants as I hike up to get more photos.

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