SPIKENARD
Aralia racemosa
GINSENG FAMILY (Araliaceae)
Identification
- Flowering time - July
- Rare in upland woods at FF
- Large, bush-like plant with purple stems
- Compound leaves with 3-6 paired leaflets plus an odd one at the end
- Radiating clusters of small 5 petaled flowers
This native perennial grows bush-like up to 6 feet tall and equally wide. The dark purple stems appear woody (C). They carry compound leaves with 2-6 paired leaflets plus an odd one at the tip. Leaflets are up to 6 inches long (A). The numerous small flowers are crowded into compound clusters (panicles with many umbels) (A,B,C). The tiny individual flowers have 5 white to greenish-white petals (B). The fruit is first a green, then red berry (D).
Found on sunny woodland slopes, flowering in July. It is rare in Fontenelle Forest on north-facing slopes along Camp Gifford Road west of the railroad tracks.
Native Americans made a root tea for menstrual irregularities, as an expectorant and to improve the taste of other medicines.
Spikenard shares its common name with Starry Solomon’s Seal (Smilacina stellata). An alternate common name is Wild Sarsaparilla.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Roland Barth.