Aralia racemosa (Spikenard)

Aralia racemosa

(Spikenard, American spikenard, life-of-man)

Woods edge to woodland (partial to full shade) | medium soil | ht. 3–7’ | Araliaceae (Ginseng) family

This large woodland species resembles a shrub when mature, but dies back to the ground every season. The large leaves and clusters of red berries make this an interesting and ecologically important plant for woodlands and shade gardens alike.

Available in:

Seed packets – contains 50 seeds

Dormant bare root plants – These plants are shipped for spring and fall transplanting, once digging and shipping conditions are ideal, usually mid-April and early to mid-October

Foundation Seed – We personally collected this seed in S.W. Wisconsin and N. Illinois

Seeds require 60-75 days of cold moist stratification to germinate. This can be achieved by sowing seed outdoors in late-fall, or by folding seed into a moist paper towel, before sealing in a sandwich bag and placing in the refrigerator. When planted in appropriate conditions this species is not difficult to grow.

• Foundation seed, responsibly collected from native plant communities.
• This species is seasonally available in bare root plants and is shipped dormant, without top growth.
• All plants have grown one full season in our garden beds.
• These native plant seeds are intended for ecological restoration and native plant gardening. We do not declare or promote any health-related claims or use.
• We avoid the use of plastic packaging, instead opting for recycled paper packets, recycled mailers and waxed paper envelopes for small seeds and bare roots.
• The general recommended planting depth for native plant seeds is to sow the seed no deeper than the width of the seed. Planting seeds too deep will inhibit germination.

We're located in the Driftless Area of Western Wisconsin. Contact us for special pricing on large orders. Bare roots and seed are seasonally available for shipping and printed goods are shipped year-round.

• We avoid the use of plastic packaging, instead opting for recycled paper packets, recycled mailers and waxed paper envelopes for small seeds and bare roots.
• Unfortunately we cannot ship live/dormant plants to California. Thank you for your understanding.