Life-of-man Plant?

winds. By July, spikenard is graced with numerous spikes composed of countless small, greenish-white flowers with five triangular reflexed petals. There are also five prominent white stamens which surround a single short style. The flower stalks are very densely covered with hairs which gives them a frosty look, and the flowers are followed by small green berries which ripen in fall to dark maroon, edible berries. In late fall, the leaves turn yellow or an interesting pink, with the veins painted in yellow, and then the entire above ground portion of the plant shrivels down to the thick, overwintering, underground rhizome.

With a common name of life-of-man, you might suspect that Aralia racemosa was highly esteemed as a general cure-all and you would be right. Many Native American tribes and early country practitioners made extensive use of the fragrant rhizomes and berries of life-of-man.

These plant products were used for food and drink and for all kinds of internal and external problems. However, since American spikenard is slow growing and an uncommon plant in NJ, unless you are growing it yourself, these plants must not be harvested in the wild. In addition, some people exhibit an allergy to this plant and its products. Hopefully the development of much more effective alternative medications will allow this conspicuous plant to survive in the wild. Spikenard is found in scattered locations in Eastern North America from Canada south to Georgia and west to Arizona. In NJ, it occasionally appears as a single plant in most northern counties; however, it is relatively uncommon and I have only seen it twice in the wild in NJ.

Spikenard tolerates rocky and clay soil, drought, deep shade, and mildly basic soil. It is also reasonably resistant to rabbits and deer. The plant is a long lived perennial and grows best in deep, slightly acid, fertile, humusy, moist soil in semi-shaded areas at the margins of wooded areas.

Spikenard can be propagated by root cuttings, transplanting suckers, and by seed. The seeds should be removed from the fruits which may inhibit germination. Give the cleaned seeds a three month cold, moist treatment or plant them outside as soon as they are ripe. Spikenard does not have any serious diseases, but sometimes there are minor infestations of spider mites and aphids. Wear gloves when handling the plants because they may cause a skin rash.

Although a mature spikenard plant can grow to a full height of several feet in a few weeks, the thick storage rhizomes take years of slow growth before they can support above ground growth of 4-5 feet. Reproduction in this plant is slow and only if conditions are just right, so you have little to fear that it will take over your yard.