Aralia nudicaulis / Wild sarsaparilla

Wild sarsaparilla is a colonial herb common to dry and average forests. It makes a tall groundcover in the fashion of mayapple or goldenseal. Its root is used medicinally, and is sometimes an ingredient in old root beer recipes. The roots, shoots, and berries are edible. The fruits are very sweet, a bit like currant or blackberry, with a somewhat acrid/soapy finish characteristic of the Araliaceae.

Height: 1′        Blooms: May

Siting: Well-drained, dry to average soils, part sun to shade

Deer Resistance: High

Provenance: NJ