King Solomon’s Seal Shady Secrets

Klamath, California Wisdom Under The Redwood Forest Canopy

In the glorious Klamath River Campgrounds in Klamath, California in 1960, our family camping & fishing trip was about to take a detour. Mom & Dad, lured by the small mom n’ pop store of fresh bait for catching steel head trout & rainbow trout abandoned us young’uns for an hour to the clutches of yours truly, along with the supervision of nature-loving-ever-enthusiastic wild flower herbalist & eager garden club photographer — Grama Daisy.

Now, if you’ve been following my Grama Did It! series, you know that she wasn’t your average grandma. She was more likely to befriend a wildflower or wild critter, than most people. Armed with her new prized Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash camera, she was on a mission to photograph every petal that dared to show its face in bloom. A frequent & popular gardening magazine owner & lecturer, she was gearing up for another epic traveling garden expert show.

Meanwhile, back at camp, my three-year-old sister was a firecracker trapped in a too-small tent with me. My annoyed younger brother was at that magical age where girls (especially little sisters) were cooties personified. He’d happily explore the Redwoods by himself, thank you very much. He moaned & groaned about being stuck with his little tattle tail shadow earlier.

Being the oldest, I was sorta in charge . . . Well let’s just say Grama Daisy wouldn’t be gone long.

I was in the middle of reading aloud, “The Runaway Pancake” for what seemed like the umpteenth time. I’d had enough. My sister’s bottom lip quivered, threatening a full-blown toddler meltdown. I knew I had to act fast before the majestic Redwoods were serenaded by the wail of a pint-sized freckle faced blond disgruntled rug-rat.

Fortunately, we were both rescued at that moment, by the return of our Grama Daisy, with a new wildflower friend she’d met on the trail. She was a lot older than Grama. Opposite of the towering Redwoods & other trees, this diminutive woman’s face was etched with years of wrinkle rings.

The dappled sunlight spotlight filtered through the emerald canopy of morning upon the two of them. Grama’s new friend was every bit as elegant as Simone Signoret accepting the Best Actress awards a few months earlier. While Simone wore her unassuming, but elegant black Dotted-Swiss Jean Dessé’s draped shouldered dress — this aged beauty wore a grayish black walnut dyed soft deerskin shawl with white beads & tiny shells over her shoulders.

Her back, no doubt once proud & strong, was bent with the weight of her years & supported by a gnarled polished walking stick. Her hair, a cascade of sunlight, shimmered with threads of silver, interwoven with surprising strands of defiant black. But for me, it was her eyes as she told her story that I will remember forever. Though framed by wrinkles, that held a haunting depth of wisdom the color of the rich, moist dark earth this Redwood forest stood upon.

I don’t remember her name, if one was ever given. Little did we know that late June day in 1960 in the Redwoods, that the two of them had bonded on their walk. Grama Daisy only referred to her as the “Acorn,” with the utmost respect when she talked of her.

They had cooked up a kid friendly lesson about the delicate balance of nature on their hike. They immediately took us back into where they’d come from to show us “King Solomon’s Seal Shady Secret.”

We walked softly among giants between a sea of green dotted with tiny wildflowers of different colors. At some point the “Acorn” spoke in a soft voice that commanded instant respect. Pointing at a particular Redwood and then a nearby Tan Oak Tree, “These giants and the other trees have stood here longer than my people can remember. Seasons change, the Klamath River flows, & all creatures come & go. The Redwoods & the Tan Oak trees are patient, but we owe them more respect.”

With her stick, her shriveled up hands gently brushed a tiny Sword Fern pushing through the damp forest earth. “See this beauty? It has respect. It knows its place in Mother Nature’s grand scheme. All plants & trees have a story to tell.”

As we continued deeper into the forest, the “Acorn” spoke reverently about the delicate balance of nature. When we’d reached King Solomon’s Seal Shady Secret palace, we stood among a wall of a different kind of giant. Our sister, barely three, was bouncing along the path, sunlight glistening off her freckled nose, stopped: “Look! Look!” She squealed, pointing at the row of green giants lining the trail near the water.

Our brother, being taller, still peered up standing next to them. These weren’t giants like the ones surrounding us, but they were definitely grown-up plants. They were at least 4–6 feet tall. They arched gracefully overhead, like a bunch of surprised droopy green pencils on Halloween eyebrows.

I remember Grama Daisy who was not even 5 feet tall, also tilting her head back. Unlike the trees gathered around us, these plants had long pointy leaves that shimmered wherever the sun graced them. Nestled among the leaves, were tiny peanut sized & shaped white flower jewels.

They weren’t like the big colorful showy dish-faced Zinnias flower jewels at home in the garden. These were more like little bells, hanging upside down in a fuchsia like row, like miniature wind chimes hung in a row, or even today’s twinkle lights that we are all so fond of.

“They look like Christmas tree lights!” my sister exclaimed, immediately reaching out to touch.

Grama Daisy immediately pulled her hand back. “Hold on, remember what I told you about pretty things in the Redwoods?” My brother at least did, “Yeah, not all sparkly things are friendly or yummy.” He had already spotted the scratchy blue-purple berries Grama had warned us about when talking about wild plants.

He was right! Sure enough, nestled around the white bells were little balloons filled clusters of dark, plump & juicy looking berries.

“Pretty, but poisonous. Look with your eyes, but not your mouths. That’s King Solomon’s Seal Shady Secret,” Grama Daisy. With that we continued down the trail until it came to a split. Our little sister skipping between the green giants, careful not to touch (at least this time).

The King Solomon’s Seals swayed gently in the summer breeze, their tiny bells tinkling in light softly, a silent reminder of the Redwood forest’s beauty & the importance of a healthy dose of Mother Nature respect.

When we later came a place where the long shadows of the Redwoods & other trees drew longer across the forest floor, our “Acorn” guide, halted. She straightened her back, her eyes twinkling she gave Grama a nod & a wink, “Remember, tread lightly here, listen more closely, & the Redwoods, the Tan Oaks, and King Solomon’s Seal secrets will always welcome you back.”

With that she turned & disappeared down in the opposing path, a tiny figure hobbling dwarfed by the giant Redwoods, yet leaving her imprint upon our young minds as vast & as lasting as the respect for forests & the lessons about Solomon’s Seal, that still speak to the enduring inter-connectedness of all living things.

King Solomon’s Seal Vanilla Leaf (Smilacina amplexicaulis)

That day long ago, we were likely looking at the Vanilla Leaf King Solomon’s Seal. There are several varieties of this plant that are native to the US. The one common denominator they all have in common is that the flowers & berries are poisonous & should not be handled or eaten. They are found in shady, moist places, temperate places here in the US (but also Asia & Europe).

That said, later in life Grama Daisy would lecture in classes she gave on useful herbal remedy plants & that they are edible plants as their fleshy roots can be roasted & boiled, along with their young shoots in the early spring. King Solomon’s Seal has been used for centuries for herbal remedies (as a pain killer, for headaches, and digestive problems) by indigenous peoples.

White King’s bells chime softly. A secret the giant green leaves whisper, Beauty holds a deadly bite. Blue-purple jewels dangle near, Tempting danger lurks close, Leave them on the vine.

“King Solomon’s Seal plant look like a nature’s free berry smoothie ingredient, but if birds & other animals won’t touch it, trust me, some beautiful amazing plants come with a shady agenda. The least of the dangers being “never-ending itches” with some wildflowers.

Just saying that because our little sister still, after all these years later manages to get into poison oak or ivy each season. I’m guessing she was too young to have fully learned that lesson from the “Acorn.” — Jerilee Wei © 2024