Aralia racemosa (Spikenard)
| Also known as: | American Spikenard |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Aralia |
| Family: | Araliaceae (Ginseng) |
| Life cycle: | perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | part shade, shade; rich woods |
| Bloom season: | July |
| Plant height: | 3 to 7 feet |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | GP: FACU MW: FACU NCNE: FACU |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
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Detailed Information
Flower: 
![[photo of flowers]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pd/aralia-racemosa-24.jpg)
Flower clusters are long, irregular branched panicles that emerge from leaf axils up and down the main and branching stems, and are made up of smaller round clusters of stalked flowers all arising from the same point (umbels). Individual flowers are pale green to greenish white, less than 1/8 inch across with 5 triangular, blunt tipped petals that are often reflexed back against the receptacle. 5 prominent, white stamens extend from the center surrounding a single, short style. Flower stalks are densely covered in very short white hairs, giving them a frosty look.
Leaves and stems:
![[photo of leaves]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pd/aralia-racemosa-28.jpg)
Leaves are few but large, twice compound, over 2 feet long and nearly as wide. Leaflets are to 5½ inches long, oval but typically heart-shaped at the base, abruptly tapering to a sharply pointed tip, sharply toothed, sometimes with fine hairs along the underside veins, on slender stalks. Stems are stout, usually dark maroon and generally smooth or covered in short, fine hairs. Many branched, it often grows wider than tall.
Fruit:
![[photo of fruit]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pd/aralia-racemosa-40.jpg)
Fruit is a berry-like capsule ¼ inch in diameter, 5-sectioned, plumping up, turning dark purple, and resembling elderberries when ripe.
Notes:
Aralia racemosa is a large, spreading, shrub-like plant at maturity, dying all the way back to the ground during the dormant season so is technically not a shrub. Highly shade tolerant, it makes an excellent urban shade garden specimen providing wildlife habitat in both structure and food. It's also an excellent substitute for gardeners who find the shape and form of the highly invasive Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) desirable.
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Map of native plant resources in the upper midwest
More photos
Spikenard plant
garden grown Spikenard
auxiliary flower clusters
more plantsPhotos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk taken in Anoka and Washington counties.
Comments
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?
on: 2013-08-25 23:42:54
Found one plant growing in a deeply wooded, wettish area. A thrill for me and I will collect seeds this fall.
on: 2014-09-04 10:33:39
I saw this plant growing in Afton at Squire House Gardens and purchased it there for my garden in Wisconsin. The grounds at Squire House Garden are beautiful and inspiring. I also saw Angelica gigas, something I'd never seen. This I didn't see available for purchase.
on: 2015-08-24 10:45:28
Growing wild along the forest road between Gunsten and Swallow Lakes
on: 2016-07-10 06:37:51
About 50 yards down the path to Falls Creek SNA
on: 2016-09-08 14:39:41
Quite a few of these have been planted at Sun Ray Library, in various conditions of sunny or shady. The soil in general is sandy loam. I am learning a lot about this plant by observing it there!
on: 2017-08-30 01:49:40
Found a nice patch of this fruiting right now in Elm Creek Park Reserve.
on: 2018-07-07 09:46:51
Found this growing near the swamp at the low point in the camp road. I was stymied until someone helped me on Minnesota Wildflowers facebook.
on: 2018-07-31 20:56:04
There are some growing at the Living Legacy Gardens located at the Central Lakes College Ag and Energy center just out of Staples MN
on: 2018-08-11 08:14:02
This is another plant appeared in the moist woods behind our lake cottage after the removal of buckthorn!
on: 2018-08-21 15:29:27
We have this growing near us and is heavily laden with berries now.
on: 2018-08-21 20:29:41
Abundant along a shady stream bed on the west side of the lake.
on: 2018-08-26 20:35:00
I spotted it while golfing at the Deerwood golf course and did not recognize it. I went thru NR in college so I dug into it and found out what it was. Awesome plant.
on: 2018-09-21 14:38:42
I have it growing in my woods near the lake. Is this plant edible, if so, which parts and how can it be prepared?
on: 2018-09-30 22:52:47
The Bakken Museum in Mpls. has several large specimens in the formal gardens area.
on: 2019-07-13 08:35:33
I read your note but would appreciate your help. We are same growing zone...Chairing a 1/2 acre native wildflower sanctuary in Chippewa Falls, WI (90 min. E of Twin Cities) and just purchased 3 American Spikenard plants. Saw several comments on this site that characterize spikenard as "spreading." Are you saying it will walk all over the sanctuary or to just be sure to choose a site with enough space for each individual plant to spread? We have 120 shade/part shade varieties from Skunk cabbage in late winter to Tall bellflower at frost. The sanctuary is a project of Lake Wissota Garden Club. Thanks, Ginger
on: 2019-07-13 11:07:02
Ginger, we planted spikenard in our shade garden and found it readily reseeds more than we wanted. The crown can also become quite large and send up more shoots. It's a lovely addition to our garden but can be a bit of work to control. More competition is probably needed to keep it in check in cultivation.
on: 2019-07-22 16:58:04
A couple years ago a lovely American spikenard grew on the edge of our woods in Grant (near Stillwater) and has come up each year since. It's in a place where we can see it easily and does not compete with anything else. We love it. So far it has not reseeded. I'd like to start some more next year and am currently researching how to best go about that.
on: 2019-09-16 18:15:50
Found two large individuals in a mature oak forest just south of the Pine Bend SNA.
on: 2019-09-24 08:36:23
Amazed by their beauty. Found them growing in the woods of Cass County in Northern Minnesota.
on: 2019-10-03 13:37:35
MInnetonka natural resource staff says the berry flesh is a germination inhibitor, so if you gather berries to plant, pull away the fruit before planting. There are a few plants on a shady ridge top in Lone Lake Park.
on: 2020-03-23 04:24:40
Another large herbaceous perennial that grows best in open shade in oak woodlands. I have two plants that were collected before a housing development was put in. Otherwise never was a common plant around here. Long-lived, my plants are over 40 years old. It does not spread but forms a clump with a few large stems and grows over 6 feet wide with large compound leaves. Unfortunately, no seedlings even though it produces an abundance of seeds each year. It can be propagated from root cutting but hate to damage the plants because they are an impressive foliage display, being the tallest and largest native shade growing herbaceous plants. They have an interesting almost ginger-like scent.
on: 2020-04-01 10:17:27
I have this planted as a screen/hedge and it is gorgeous. I want to buy more plants. Does anyone know of a nursery that carries it?
on: 2020-05-22 19:56:58
Just purchased three from Prairie Nursery (WI). Planted in shady front yard. Want for habitat, going all natives on my inner city property.
on: 2020-06-22 11:36:41
We have this in our restored woodland yard. It's in a very shady area.
on: 2020-08-10 14:07:55
I found this plant while working on Quadna Mountain south of Hill City, MN. Most of the fruit was green with clusters turning ripe. Growing near blackberry and raspberry bushes at the top of the hill in an area that is shady in the afternoon through the evening.
on: 2021-05-24 18:47:52
I have this growing on a north-facing hill in a wooded neighborhood. It will come from seed -- there are some new plants a several feet downhill from the main group.
on: 2021-09-05 14:00:28
Growing on the east edge of woods. Picture This app first IDd this as japanese knotweed which caused some panic. Now with berries it is IDd correctly. Are berries edible? Tasty?
on: 2021-09-05 17:18:34
David, rumor has it the berries are edible.
on: 2021-09-14 09:44:13
I have found this plant on my property in northwestern Ontario 30 miles north of the U.S. Canada border at Pigeon River and it seems to be doing well. Going to try and plant some from the seeds
on: 2022-08-03 17:04:55
I bought a Spikenard 5 years ago at a local nursery; left it neglected in the pot for 2 years.. Planted it in dappled shade near a sandbox, and two years later, it is a gorgeous plant...hardy, lovely, expansive branching structure...Wish I could find a Spikenard for my mom's house in Lake Elmo, MN..it would be so happy there. If you see one, plant it and cherish it! It loves dappled shade, oak and maple, no chem-lawns, please!
on: 2022-08-03 18:36:12
Nelle, I believe there are multiple native plant nurseries in the midwest that carry this species. We don't track who sells what but Google is your friend.
on: 2022-09-02 16:28:46
8/21/22. Lake County MN
on: 2022-10-08 15:01:51
Came upon two good-looking plants just today, goldening at the bottom of a gully near a wet seep. Willowherbs, beggarticks, rushes, shield ferns within feet. An ironwood overhead.
on: 2023-07-05 18:38:14
Seeds I collected were put into a bowl and mashed, covered in water. Slowly remove the must/rind until just the seeds are left. Put in the fridge on moist paper towel. In late September, early October I planted in my outdoor planting bed. Next Spring I had 1000+ seedlings!!! What to do? I planted them all over in my wildish areas and now 10 years later have a nice crop of lush Spikenards existing without any more help from me. Just thought you would like to know. ps: keep out of your formal garden areas. They get huge.