Species introCountry intro
American Spikenard
This plant has beautiful, purple-red berries in the autumn. Large, tapered flower clusters of this 2-5 ft. perennial are made up of many tiny white flowers, each with a tinge of yellow or green. They grow upright above large compound foliage on heavy, leafy stems.
The berries are generally considered inedible. However, the roots have been used as an ingredient for root beer; and Native Americans used this plant medicinally.
''Aralia racemosa'', with common names American spikenard, small spikenard, Indian root, spice berry, spignet, life-of-man, petty morel, is an ornamental plant in the Araliaceae family native to the United States and Canada. It is a herbaceous plant, about one to two meters tall, which grows in shady areas. Its native range includes most of the eastern United States.
