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FOODIES' HOME PAGE
PLANT PROFILE LIST
NAME: False Solomon’s Seal
SPECIES / FAMILY: Maianthemum Racemosum / Asparagaceae
OTHER COMMON NAME(S): False Spikenard
CONDITIONS:
partial shade, moist soil
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PARTS: |
EDIBLE |
TASTE |
RAW/COOK |
SEASON |
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All |
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Shoots |
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asparagus |
COOK |
Spring |
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Leaves |
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asparagus |
COOK |
Spring |
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Buds/Flowers |
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Fruits |
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bitter molasses |
RAW/COOK |
Fall |
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Roots |
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potato-like |
SOAK/COOK |
Fall |
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Seeds |
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Nuts |
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Pods |
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Stalk |
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Bark |
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PORTION: small
COMMENT: “The fruit is smaller than a pea but is produced in quite large terminal clusters on the plant and so is easy to harvest. It has a delicious bitter-sweet flavour, suggesting bitter molasses.” (1) “…root should be soaked in alkaline water to remove bitterness” (1)
CAUTION:
NUTRITION / MEDICINAL: berries high in vitamin C (3) https://plighttofreedom.com/?s=false+solomon%27s+seal
CAUTIONS:
LOOK-A-LIKES: False Solomon’s Seal, see: http://identifythatplant.com/false-and-true-solomons-seal and
Lilly of the Valley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_of_the_valley
POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: False Hellebore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum
OTHER USES:
SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):
1. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Smilacina+racemosa (PFAF's common names do not include "False Solomon Seal" for some reason. And it's initial description under "Edible Parts" is not complete. Must read "Edible Uses" to get full description.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maianthemum_racemosum
3. http://northernbushcraft.com/topic.php?name=false+solomon%27s-seal®ion=pnw&ctgy=edible_berries (good photos)