Botanical atlas

Starry False Solomon's Seal

Maianthemum stellatum

Long before it had a Latin name, this quiet woodland lily was known to dozens of Native American nations, from the Ojibwe and Potawatomi to the Karuk and Thompson peoples, who dug its slender rhizome for use as a wash on wounds, sores, and skin troubles, and sometimes as an eyewash or general tonic. Its young shoots, gathered while still tender in early spring, were cooked and eaten much like asparagus, one of the first fresh greens after a long winter. The ripe berries, which start green and purple striped before turning a translucent ruby red, were eaten too, though always in modest amounts, since larger quantities were known to unsettle the stomach.

Safety.

The rhizome and berries contain natural saponins, and eating them in quantity can cause nausea or a laxative effect. Young shoots and berries grow alongside seriously toxic look-alikes, so positive identification is essential, and use in pregnancy is best avoided.