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American Spikenard

Aralia racemosa

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in rich woodlands, trail margins and roadsides. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

65
Strong

Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
3–6 feet
Spread
3–5 feet
Light
Full sun to part shade
Soil moisture
Average to wet

Space about 4 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 6 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
June to August

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 7 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 24 animals.

All wildlife of Arkansas

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

12CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Aralia

  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
  • Celastrina ladonSpring Azure
  • Coelostathma discopunctanaThe Batman Moth
  • Dichomeris juncidellaOrange-Dotted Dichomeris
  • Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
  • Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
  • Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
  • Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
Show all 12
  • Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
13BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Aralia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
6BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Aralia

  • Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
  • Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Araliaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3–8
Flower color
Green

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankG4G5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources