Spikenard
Aralia racemosa
Spikenard is a dramatic woodland perennial that doesn't get nearly enough recognition. It pushes up from the ground each spring and expands rapidly into a bold, arching mound of giant compound leaves. each one up to 3 feet across. that brings a lush, tropical quality to shaded gardens. The small creamy-white flowers open in spreading clusters in midsummer, attracting native bees and flies. By fall, those flowers ripen into clusters of dark purple-black berries that birds eat eagerly. The roots have a rich, spicy-sweet fragrance used medicinally by Indigenous peoples for centuries. Give it room. a single well-established clump becomes an impressive focal point in a moist woodland garden.
We grow a range of sizes and prices. Add the plant to your list, then pick your size when you visit.
Final price confirmed at pickup, depends on size and season.
- Thu, Jul 238 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Jul 248 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Jul 258 AM – 2 PM
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown spikenard propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Part shade
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 3'–6'
- Bloom
- Massive compound leaves emerge and expand dramatically in spring and summer; creamy flower clusters in midsummer; dark berry clusters in fall
- USDA zones
- 3–8
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside spikenard.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle 9–12 species that work together. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Butterfly Package
Host and nectar plants chosen to feed monarchs, swallowtails, and fritillaries spring through fall.
Hummingbird Package
Tubular-flowered natives that pull ruby-throats through your yard April through October.
S.O.S. Package
Save Our Songbirds, berry- and seed-bearing natives that feed nesting and migrating birds.