SafePlants

Considerations for Pets

• American Spikenard is a soft-stemmed plant.
• The plant produces berries.

Considerations for Children

• American Spikenard is a soft-stemmed plant.
• The plant produces berries.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Aralia racemosa L.
• Family: Araliaceae (Ginseng family)
• Synonyms: Spignet, Life of Man, Pettymorell, Old Man's Root
• Subspecies: Aralia racemosa ssp. racemosa

Distribution and Habitat

American Spikenard is native to North America and is commonly found in rich woodlands and thickets. It thrives in moist deciduous forests, particularly in regions like New England. Its distribution extends from Dakota and Mississippi to Georgia.

Morphology and Growth Habits

• It is a rhizomatous, shrubby-looking perennial that grows to a height of 3-5 feet (approximately 1-1.5 meters).
• The plant features thick, fleshy rootstocks with long, thick roots.
• It has large, compound (twice pinnate) leaves and striking branched stems.
• American Spikenard lacks spines and features numerous flower umbels in large clusters.
• It produces showy clusters of purple-red or dark purple berries in the fall.
• Flowers are greenish to white.

Traditional and Historical Uses

• The root has a mild, pleasant licorice-like flavor and has been used as a substitute.
• Spikenard root tea is a traditional American folk medicine treatment.
• Historically, in North America, the root was used by herbalists for lung infections such as coughs, catarrh, and tuberculosis.
• The roots were gathered by American Indians for medicinal uses due to their pleasant scent.

Quirky Facts

• The berries of American Spikenard have been described as an excellently delicious fruit.
• One source suggests its colonial name was petty morrel, because it resembled the Asiatic soikenard.