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Hardiness: USDA Zone 3a: to -39.9 °C (-40 °F) USDA Zone 3b: to -37.2 °C (-35 °F) USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F) USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F) USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F) USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade
Danger: N/A
Bloom Color: White/Near White
Bloom Time: Late Spring/Early Summer
Foliage: Herbaceous
Other details: Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Soil pH requirements: 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information: Non-patented
Propagation Methods: From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall From seed; winter sow in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse From seed; stratify if sowing indoors
Seed Collecting: Collect seedhead/pod when flowers fade; allow to dry Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored
On Sep 12, 2011, l6blue from Coon Rapids, MN (Zone 4b) wrote:
This plant does very well in my shady yard. The flowers provide interest, but the real pay-off is the berries. The dark red-black berry clusters are beautiful.
On Mar 7, 2006, Malus2006 from Coon Rapids, MN (Zone 4a) wrote:
American Spikenard is one of the largest native perennial in shade in the Upper Midwest Area. It is beginning to show up in native nurseries. It have very large compound leaves and can tolerate a wide range of conditons but it look vulnerable to winds. It seeds itself at a medium to low rate, and its difficult to tell if birds or rodents eat the fruits. It doesn't seem to like droughts too much and tend to become stressed and shed it leaves early about late summer to early fall if it get more direct sun. I collected my plant from the wild near a lake in woodland shade above the water table with small numbers of ostrich ferns and hepticas.
On Aug 31, 2001, smiln32 from Oklahoma City, OK (Zone 7a) wrote:
Spikenard is a shrubby-looking, soft-stemmed, Missouri native herbaceous perennial which occurs on wooded slopes, ledges and ravines in the Ozark region and in rich, moist woods of the northeast region of the State. Features smooth, branching stems typically growing 3-5' tall (less frequently to 6') and compound foliage (9-21 coarse, heart-shaped, toothed leaflets). Tiny white flowers in numerous small umbels arranged in long, terminal panicles appear in early summer. Flowers are followed by inedible, dark purple berries. Thick roots are spicy-aromatic and have been used to flavor teas and root beer.
Regional...
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
Elkton, Maryland Peabody, Massachusetts Sandwich, Massachusetts Midland, Michigan Lake Park, Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota (2 reports) North Plainfield, New Jersey Falconer, New York Millbrook, New York Wallkill, New York Laflin, Pennsylvania Cranston, Rhode Island Woodstock, Vermont Alexandria, Virginia Leesburg, Virginia Lexington, Virginia
3 vendors have this plant for sale.
