Aralia racemosa - AMERICAN SPIKENARD
Shrubby looking native woodland perennial. Late blooming, shade and black walnut tolerant.
Great support for various insects.
Long-lived, in time forms wide clumps and remind of small shrub.
Blooming Time: July-August
Size: 4' tall x 3-4' wide, spacing 24"+
USDA Zones: 3 to 7
Culture: partial sun, half shade, full shade. Grows well in average garden soil with some organic matter. Prefers moist and rich soil. With enough moisture can handle full sun.
Moisture Needs: medium, medium-moist, moist
Origin: native to woodland of eastern and partially central USA and Canada. See the BONAP distribution map.
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes / yes
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: flowers attract many insects - short and long-tongued bees, wasps, ants, saw flies and flies, butterflies, skippers, moths and beetles
Attracts Hummingbirds: no. But the berries attract smaller songbirds (esp. thrushes), chipmunks and small mammals (and deer) eat the berries
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 4" deep perennial pot
Plant combinations: Looks best woodland gardens and woodland edge gardens (sun dappled / dappled shade gardens, naturalized areas), wildlife gardens, native plant gardens. Use it as shrub and combine with shorter, more ground covering (mat forming plants or bigger groups of) plants and grasses like Ajuga, shorter Amsonia, shorter Aruncus, Bergenia, Brunnera, Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae, Epimedium, Heuchera, Heucherella, hardy Geranium (G. sanquineum, G. macrorrhizum, G. 'Azure Rush, G. Rozanne'), Gillenia, Hosta, Iris tectorum, Lamium, Lysimachia lanceolata, Phlox stolonifera, Phlox divaricata, Persicaria amplexicaulis, Polemonium, PulmonariaTiarella, grassy plants like Carex (sedges), Dierrhena, Hakonechloa. Or combine with small shrubs (Clethra, Fotergilla, Hamaemelis, Ilex, Itea, Lindera, etc.).
Picture copyright: Bibliothèque de l'Université Laval, Wikimedia Commons
Aralia racemosa - AMERICAN SPIKENARD
Shrubby looking native woodland perennial. Late blooming, shade and black walnut tolerant.
Great support for various insects.
Long-lived, in time forms wide clumps and remind of small shrub.
Blooming Time: July-August
Size: 4' tall x 3-4' wide, spacing 24"+
USDA Zones: 3 to 7
Culture: partial sun, half shade, full shade. Grows well in average garden soil with some organic matter. Prefers moist and rich soil. With enough moisture can handle full sun.
Moisture Needs: medium, medium-moist, moist
Origin: native to woodland of eastern and partially central USA and Canada. See the BONAP distribution map.
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes / yes
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: flowers attract many insects - short and long-tongued bees, wasps, ants, saw flies and flies, butterflies, skippers, moths and beetles
Attracts Hummingbirds: no. But the berries attract smaller songbirds (esp. thrushes), chipmunks and small mammals (and deer) eat the berries
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 4" deep perennial pot
Plant combinations: Looks best woodland gardens and woodland edge gardens (sun dappled / dappled shade gardens, naturalized areas), wildlife gardens, native plant gardens. Use it as shrub and combine with shorter, more ground covering (mat forming plants or bigger groups of) plants and grasses like Ajuga, shorter Amsonia, shorter Aruncus, Bergenia, Brunnera, Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae, Epimedium, Heuchera, Heucherella, hardy Geranium (G. sanquineum, G. macrorrhizum, G. 'Azure Rush, G. Rozanne'), Gillenia, Hosta, Iris tectorum, Lamium, Lysimachia lanceolata, Phlox stolonifera, Phlox divaricata, Persicaria amplexicaulis, Polemonium, PulmonariaTiarella, grassy plants like Carex (sedges), Dierrhena, Hakonechloa. Or combine with small shrubs (Clethra, Fotergilla, Hamaemelis, Ilex, Itea, Lindera, etc.).
Picture copyright: Bibliothèque de l'Université Laval, Wikimedia Commons