Spikenard
Aralia racemosa
Giant arching leaves bring a lush, tropical look to shade. Creamy midsummer flowers, then purple-black berries the birds eat eagerly.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Bold tropical-scale foliage for the shade garden, fragrant roots, and dark berries for birds. spikenard fills the large-scale textural anchor role that no other shade perennial matches.
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.
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.
- Mature size
- 3'–6' · 36-60 inches wide
- Bloom time
- Midsummer
- Family
- Araliaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America
Care notes for spikenard.
Part shade to full shade in moist, humus-rich soil. Best in consistently moist conditions. a stream bank or low woodland spot suits it perfectly. Mulch heavily to retain moisture. Dies to the ground in fall; cut back after frost. No serious pests or diseases. Deer essentially ignore it.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside spikenard.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.