Polygonatum x hybridum ‘Dusky Bere’

Solomon’s Seal Asparagaceae

A Solomon’s seal with a distinctly dusky demeanour! ‘Dusky Bere’ is a handsome hybrid, producing arching stems with darkly flushed young growth that gradually matures to fresh green. The pendent, creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers appear beneath the foliage in late spring, followed by dark berries. A robust and attractive woodland perennial, particularly effective when allowed to naturalise amongst ferns and other shade-loving plants.

‘Dusky Bere’ was named from material found growing at Bere House in Pangbourne, Berkshire from the 1960s. The plant was subsequently propagated and distributed by Edulis Nursery, bringing this distinctive local form into wider horticultural circulation. Its precise parentage is uncertain, so Polygonatum × hybridum is best retained as the horticultural designation rather than implying a documented cross.

The name ‘Dusky Bere’ therefore records both the dusky colouring of the emerging growth and its provenance at Bere House. It is sometimes listed as Polygonatum odoratum ‘Dusky Bere’, reflecting the difficulty of assigning some cultivated Polygonatum hybrids to their exact parentage.

• Height: 60–90cm
• Spread: 40–60cm
• Flowering: May–June
• Hardiness: H6 (-20 to -15°C)
• Position: Partial shade to shade
• Soil: Moist, humus-rich, well drained
• Provenance: Bere House, Pangbourne, Berkshire
• Introduction: Named from material found at Bere House and subsequently distributed by Edulis Nursery
• Nomenclature: Polygonatum × hybridum ‘Dusky Bere’
• Alternative treatment: Polygonatum odoratum ‘Dusky Bere’