I currently have a book from our local library called "Creating a Forest Garden" by Martin Crawford. It is about food plants and sustainable gardening in general; e.g. growing nitrogen fixing plants etc. It mentions Polygonatum species are all edible, but recommends the larger, for practical purposes. Cut when 8-12 inches tall, disgard the leaf section as it can be bitter, cook like asparagas:- "wonderful sweet flavour". Also a good bee plant. I assume it will throw secondary shoots if you cut the primary but have not tried it. Brian Whyer, Buckinghamshire, England, zone ~8 ish Snow all gone, stored rainwater all gone as pipe disconnnected under snow, :-(