Description
One of the largest herbaceous plants in North America, this lush plant gracefully arches to a mature height of 3′-9′. The broad and compound leaves have a tropical look, but Western aralia naturally ranges from southern California to as far north as Linn County in Oregon’s western Cascades. Aralia has an affinity for moist gulches, seasonal or perennial streambanks, canyons, and other cool, shady locations at elevations generally below 5,000 feet. One of only two native plants in Oregon in the ginseng family, Aralia has many medicinal qualities. Attractive to pollinators and birds.
California spikenard (Aralia californica) seed packets contain approximately 225 seeds.
Seed Germination Instructions
This species requires 90-120 days cold-moist stratification. If you live in an area with cold enough winters you can simply sow the seeds outside in fall to early spring and let nature do the work, or if you live in an area with mild winters, you can use artificial methods for stratification. For more information about cold-stratification and seed germination, read more on our website here.
