Wild Sarsaparilla

Aralia nudicaulis L. - Ginseng family

Size

Mature Height: Up to around 18 inches

Planting Distance: 20 inches

Plant Type: Subshrub, Forb/herb

Root Depth: 10 inches

Growth Form: Rhizomatous

Growth Rate: Moderate

Features

Flower Color: White

Conspicuous Flowers: Yes

Bloom Time: Late Spring

Seasonal Growth: Spring and Summer

Evergreen: No

Fall Colors: No

Conditions

Shade Tolerance: Tolerant

Clay Soil Tolerance: Yes

Sandy Soil Tolerance: Yes

Drought Tolerance: Medium

Flood Tolerance: None

Fire Tolerance: Medium

Salt Tolerance: None

Ecosystem Interactions

Pollinators: Native Bees; Honey Bees; Beetles, Wasps, Flies; Moths; Butterflies; Larval Host (Butterfly); Larval Host (Moth)

Larval Species depending on Wild Sarsaparilla: Aphelia alleniana, Celastrina argiolus lucia/neglecta, Lymantria dispar

Native Range

  • CAN:  Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territorie, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Québec, Saskatchewan, Yukon
  • USA:  Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Regional Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.