Planting the Future

SPIKENARD

Aralia racemosa

KATE GILDAY

Years ago, when my children were young, I would drive them to visit their friends on the other side of the small town we lived in. Much of the town was composed of a state forest, with many dirt roads crisscrossing the area. It was on such a road that I first met spikenard. A single plant, tall and graceful, waved to us from the edge of the woods. For weeks I just passed by, at first simply noticing this new roadside plant, too busy or preoccupied to stop. But its gentle waving continued, catching my eye each time I drove by, until one day I pulled over to meet this new friend.

Three ravens croaked a greeting as I approached the sun-dappled area under the tall maple and beech trees shading the roadside. Immediately, I felt an attraction to this beautiful dancer that moved ever so gently in the warm summer breeze. Several of her stems leaned over, heavy with racemes of starlike blossoms in full bloom. Honeybees, wasps, and other flying insects were busy pollinating as they visited the fragrant flowers, hard green fruits already developing at the bottom of the flower stalks.

The long stem held a beautiful purple-red color that blended with the green, especially at the leaf nodes where other stems emerged. This coloring made me wonder if the plant was used to calm or enervate the body—having an action on the nervous system—or perhaps the circulatory system. The large, heart-shaped leaves reminded me of the shape of the pelvic area. Could this medicine plant possibly act on the reproductive system? Perhaps it could be used as an herbal ally for women. What was this new plant friend and why had I never seen this beauty before? I tucked these thoughts and questions away and felt sure that more would be revealed as I came to spend time with and use this new medicinal plant. I felt such a heart and womb connection with this plant, and wanted to learn more. Leaving a seashell at its base, I said thank you to the plant and promised to return.

Soon late summer was upon us, a busy time of harvesting and canning. One early morning I slipped off to check on the spikenard plant, hoping there would be a few ripened berries. Indeed, when I arrived I found the spikenard in full fruit, with several branches heavily laden with bunches of red to dark purple berries bending toward the ground. The berries certainly looked edible. Cautiously, I placed one in my mouth and was pleasantly surprised at its succulent, spicy flavor. I nibbled a few more of these aromatic and tasty treats, then decided to check my reference book once again for edibility. (I later found reference to using the berries to make a wild jam!) Thinking I would try to grow more of these plants, I brought a small bunch home to save for seeds to propagate the following spring.

I had been watching for more spikenard plants since my first meeting, as I wandered backwoods trails and drove down shaded dirt roads. But that summer and fall I did not see another. It was not until the following late spring that I encountered several spikenard plants on my way to a newfound nettle patch. The little-used dirt road had been cut through a hardwood forest, rich with a variety of shade-loving plants including stoneroot (Collinsonia canadensis) and spikenard growing along the roadside. The following week I returned with a small group of students to study the plants in the area and dig spikenard root. We chose one plant that had been partially dug up by the snowplow that winter. The roots were deep and strong, but easy to dig because of the location. When we unearthed the large roots, the air filled with an earthy, spicy fragrance, inviting us to taste the richness held there.

We brought the roots home, cleaned and sliced them, and simmered them in honey for an hour. Pouring off the spikenard honey, we were left with candied spikenard root. Yummy! I thought of those candied slices as a little energy tonic and would nibble on them from time to time. Four years later the candied slices still hold the flavor of spikenard and the beauty and fun we had the day we prepared them.

Since then I have kept my eyes open when in spikenard country, often stopping to say hello, photograph, or simply sit and even dance with the plants. Spikenard has become a dear friend that I occasionally use as a medicine, but more often simply enjoy as good company. And she continues to wave as I pass by.

Spikenard is a perennial plant of the Ginseng family. It is found in the rich woodlands throughout most of the temperate regions of North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, from Québec south to Georgia, west to Kansas, and north to Minnesota. It is a singularly striking plant, with a smooth, arching stem, dark green or reddish in color, 3 to 7 feet tall with spreading branches of large compound leaves made up of many light green, heart-shaped leaflets. There is a prominent sheathed joint at the point each branch meets the main stem, giving it a zigzag look.

The large, elongated clusters of white flowers bear dozens of tiny, white-petaled blossoms in mid- to late summer. The dark purple berries are ripe by summer’s end or early autumn. The berries have a spicy and pleasant flavor. The thick, aromatic rootstock or rhizome is light brown and quite fleshy, with numerous long, thick roots.

The root of spikenard was once used to flavor root beer—not the soda we are familiar with, but a healthy beverage country folks would make with different combinations of familiar roots such as burdock, dandelion, sassafras, wild sarsaparilla, and spikenard. A real tonic/alterative that tasted good, too! This spicy root was official in the National Formulary from 1916 to 1965, where it was listed as a stimulant and diaphoretic.

Several Native American tribes used spikenard root as a decoction to treat a variety of respiratory conditions such as asthma, coughs, and lung ailments, and also kidney trouble, rheumatism, and syphilis. The decoction was used to aid urinary problems in older males. Perhaps this gave rise to the name old man’s root. The roots were also used to flavor other medicines, and the fall-dug root was a food source.

As a dermatological aid, the root would be crushed and poulticed on boils, infections, swellings, and wounds. As a gynecological aid, the root decoction was used as a female reproductive tonic to strengthen the uterus; to treat menstrual irregularities, miscarriage, prolapsed uterus, and uterine pains; and as an abortifacient. It was often used a few months before the time of childbirth to tone and relax the pelvic area, helping ease and shorten the time of labor and delivery.

The decoction has been used alone, or in combination with other alteratives, to build or purify the bloodstream, and to treat pimples, acne, skin eruptions, and syphilis. The roots can also be made into an excellent cough syrup, again alone or with other cough and sore throat herbs such as wild cherry bark (Prunus serotina), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and elecampane (Inula helenium). The decoction acts as an expectorant and also helps cut the viscosity of lung secretions.

I have prepared the root as a decoction and fresh tincture, using it occasionally with those whose creative or reproductive energy seems stagnant and who also suffer with a respiratory or sinus congestion. These folks often experience a feeling of being unable to move or shift, stuck in a rut or in rigid thinking. Spikenard promotes a relaxation and flowing that unbinds the tension behind the stagnation. This allows for a healthy release of fluids, whether it be sinus discharge, lung expectoration, proper circulation in the pelvic area, or menstrual flow that had been stopped up. Phlegm stuck at the back of the throat, fears that trigger respiratory problems, and women who are approaching menopause with their “brakes” on are other examples. Energetically, spikenard has a fluid grace and assured strength to share.

A tincture is prepared with the fresh root 1:5 in 50 percent alcohol. Decant after six weeks and store away from heat and light.

Last summer I prepared a flower essence of spikenard, sitting with the plant for a while to learn of the vibrational qualities of the essence of this plant. The experience was both very relaxing and expansive. The description I share here is some of what I learned. Spikenard essence is that of present-moment awareness. It allows the experience of the present to effortlessly guide you to the next moment. It helps you dance gracefully through life’s challenges as you let go of resistance, feeling a sense of fluid motion. This is a graceful guardian of the forest.

I could find no information on the cultivation of this particular Aralia species. According to Richo Cech at Horizon Herbs, cultivation of California spikenard (A. californica) needs extra care. “Sow seeds outdoors in fall or very early spring, or subject to six weeks cold, moist conditioning (place seeds in damp sand in a covered plastic container in the refrigerator) before sowing in a warm place. From start of cold conditioning, the seeds usually take about seventy days to emerge. Space seedlings 4 feet apart.” I would also scarify the seeds very lightly with a fine-grained sandpaper to possibly increase germination. This simulates the action of a wild turkey’s digestive system on the spikenard seeds; these birds eat the spikenard berries and “plant” them in the wild through elimination.

The ripened berries can be harvested as a trailside nibble in late summer and early fall. Eat only a few, leaving some for the wildlife and others to hopefully germinate the following year. Bring some berries home to cultivate for your woodland garden.

The thick, aromatic roots of the cultivated species should be dug in early spring when the first shoots emerge, or in autumn once the plant has begun to die back. The roots are quite extensive, so dig deep and wide, being careful not to break the roots with your shovel. One plant can provide enough rootstock for several people. The roots can be split lengthwise, chopped in ¼- to ½-inch slices, and dried on screens or in baskets in a warm, dry area. Once dried, the roots should be stored in an airtight glass jar, away from sunlight. If you do harvest this plant, please plant some of the berries at the site of the gathered root.

UpS RECOMMENDATIONS

• Use the wild-harvested plant only when necessary; otherwise, use cultivated resources only.

• Possible alternatives include cultivated ginseng (Panax ginseng or P. quinquefolium), Siberian ginseng, cleavers for skin concerns and as a diaphoretic and alterative, as well as chickweed.

I would love to see more people cultivating spikenard in the wild and simply taking the time to notice and sit with this beautiful plant. Spending time with the wild plants, especially the native woodland plants, helps us slow down, appreciate the quiet presence of the trees and plants, and hear the whispers of the ancient ones—a place and a way to re-member. In my limited experience and deeper feelings, I believe we do not have to harvest the actual plant to enjoy its gifts. Time with spikenard or using a flower essence can have a subtle or dramatic effect on the body, emotions, awareness, and vital essence. It is in making and taking the time that we truly open to the healing the plants offer us.

Cech, Richo. Horizon Herbs, Strictly Medicinal Growing Guide and 1998 Growing Catalog. Williams, Oreg.: author, 1998.

Elliott, Doug. Wild Roots: A Forager’s Guide to the Edible and Medicinal Roots, Tubers, Corms, and Rhizones of North America. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts Press, 1995.

Foster, Steven, and James A. Duke. Peterson’s Field Guide: Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990.

Hutchens, Alma R. Indian Herbalogy of North America. Windsor, Ont.: Merco Publishers, 1973.

Moerman, Daniel. Medicinal Plants of Native America. Vols 1 and 2. Technical Reports No. 17. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology, 1986.