'Prince Charming' is a Solomon's seal cultivar sold under the name Polygonatum biflorum on its tag, with arching stems of broad green leaves and pairs of white, green-tipped bell flowers dangling beneath them in spring. The tag lists part shade to shade and a spring bloom time. The leaves stay clean through summer and turn butter yellow in fall.
It spreads slowly by rhizomes into a graceful colony in humus-rich, evenly moist woodland soil, and is rarely bothered by deer. Bumblebees visit the flowers, and dark berries follow. Watch for sawfly larvae that can strip leaves in early summer; hand-pick them when you see them. Cut stems to the ground after they yellow in fall, and divide the rhizomes in early spring.
Ecoregions:Northern ForestsEastern Temperate ForestsGreat Plains
Fungal leaf spot
Brown or purplish spots on the leaves, often ringed with a yellow halo, that spread and merge in warm, humid, or wet weather; heavily spotted leaves yellow and drop early.
Pick off spotted leaves and clear fallen debris to remove overwintering spores. Improve air circulation by thinning, and water at the base so foliage dries quickly. If it persists, apply a copper- or sulfur-based fungicide at the first sign.