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Wild Sarsaparilla

Aralia nudicaulis

Found in upland forests and woodlands, rocky places, most typically in rather dry places, such as ridgetop forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

66
Strong

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
About 1.5 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
May to July
Fruiting season
Summer

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 13 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

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

Forests and woodlands

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

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 74 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (49)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

14CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Aralia

  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
  • Celastrina ladonSpring Azure
  • Celastrina luciaLucia Azure
  • Celastrina serotinaCherry Gall 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
Show all 14
  • Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
  • Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
  • 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
5BirdsRecorded eating Aralia in West Virginia

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes West Virginia, most records first.

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

Direct food only. 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

Birds that eat Aralia 5

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Araliaceae
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Summer

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

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS4
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources