Aralia racemosa
Aralia racemosa, or American Spikenard, is a rhizomatous, shrubby-looking, but soft-stemmed, herbaceous perennial of the Ginseng family that is native to moist rich woods from Quebec to Manitoba south to Mississippi and Georgia and west to Utah and New Mexico.
It is easily grown in average to medium, moist, well-drained soils in full sun to shade, but best in part shade. The species prefers moist, fertile, humusy loams, but tolerates a wide range of soils including rocky and clayey ones. It grows nicely in areas sheltered from strong winds which helps to protect the large compound leaves.
This plant starts out as a sleeper in the spring garden that transforms into a summer stunner. Gone for the winter, the plant grows to 4 or 5 feet tall by summer, and looks beautiful and commanding either as an individual specimen or when massed. The fine sprays of white, diminutive flowers turn to green then burgandy bunches of small grapelike fruits, which then darken to blue-black. The plant then disappears for the winter. It's a real Chameleon!
It also attracts a large number of pollinators when it is in bloom, and birds love the berries!
Prices listed are subject to change, based upon size change and availability.
We are a small local nursery with limited shipping capability. We will do our best to ship smaller material (usually 1 or 2 gallon), although we can sometimes ship larger plants with the pots removed.
We have some species that are not listed, as we have too few of them to make a full listing plausible. You can always inquire.
We will consider contract growing an order with appropriate advance notice and availability of seed, cuttings or lining out stock.