| Common Name | Latin Name | Plant Family |
|---|---|---|
|
Bristly Sarsaparilla |
Aralia hispida |
Araliaceae |
None known
Cultivation & Habitat
Seed – best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 – 5 months of cold stratification. Germination usually takes place within 1 – 4 months at 20¡c[134]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Once the plants are 25cm or more tall, they can be planted out into their permanent positions, late spring or early summer being the best time to do this.
Root cuttings 8cm long, December in a cold frame[11, 78]. Store the roots upside down in sand and pot up in March/April. High percentage[78].
Division of suckers in late winter[11]. Very easy, the suckers can be planted out direct into their permanent positions if required.
Prefers a moderately fertile deep moisture-retentive well-drained loam and a position in semi-shade but also succeeds in a sunny position[200]. Requires a sheltered position[200]. Plants are hardier when grown on poorer soils[200]. This species is especially tolerant of poor dry soils[200]. Prefers an acid soil[184].
Dormant plants are hardy to at least -15¡c[184, 200]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K].
The whole plant has an unpleasant smell[4].
Eastern and Central N. America – E. Canada to Virginia, west to Illinois and Minnesota.
Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.
*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.