Araliacea (Aralia)

Protocol Information for:

Label_title:
Aralia (racemosa)

Family Names:

Family Scientific Name:
Araliacea

Family Common Name:
Ginseng Family

Scientific Names:

Genus:
Aralia

Species:
racemosa

Scientific Classification:

Scientific SubSpecies:

Species Authority:
L.

Scientific SubAuthority:

Authors:

Catherine Suzanne Thomas

Common Synonym:

Genus:

Species:

Synonym Classification:

Synonym SubSpecies:

Species Authority:

Synonym SubAuthority:

Other Information:

Common Name:
American spikenard

Species Code:
ARRA

Ecotype:
woodland, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL

General Distribution:
woodlands and thickets Range: Eastern N. America - Quebec to Georgia west to Kansas and Minnesota

Known Invasiveness:

Propagation Goal:
plants

Propagation Method:
seed

Product Type:
Container (plug)

Stock Type:
one gallon container

Grow Time:
10 Months

Target Specifications:
firmly rooted in a one gallon container

Propagation Collection:
berries collected in late August

Propagation Processing/Propagule Characteristics:
seeds extracted from pulp with running water over a screen

Pre-Planting Propagule Treatments:
seeds sown fresh as soon as possible after collection

Growing Area Preparation / Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:
Growing Environment: a fully automated greenhouse and a quonset equipped with heater and limited cooling capacity
Containers: Seeds were sown into ITML brand 128 cell plug trays. Plugs were transplanted into T.&O. Plastics SVD brand 4 1/2 inch containers then into Nursery Supply Inc Classic 300 brand 1 gallon containers.
Media: Seed was sown into Fafard Super Fine Germination Mix. Plugs were transplanted into Sunshine SB300 Universal bark mix.

Establishment Phase:
Sow date was early September. Seeds were hand sown 2 to 3 seeds per cell to compensate for possible lower germination rates. Seed was covered witha thin layer of coarse vermiculite and watered in under a mist system. Flats were grown for 8 weeks in a fully automated shaded greenhouse under an automated mist system set at 3 seconds of mist every 30 minutes. Air temperature was set at 65 F and bottom heat was run at 70 F. Flats were moved to a shaded quonset for 16 weeks. Temperatures were kept as close to 38 F as possible but not allowed to go below freezing. The soil surface was kept moist. Flats were then moved to a fully automated greenhouse. Temperatures were initially set at 58 F days and 54 F nights and raised to 68 F days and 64 F nights after 2 weeks. Day length was extended to 12 hours using HID lights. The soil surface was kept moist until germination occurred. After germination, seedlings were fertilized weekly with 20-2-20 fertilizer at 200 ppm. Seedlings were thinned to one per cell.

Length of Establishment Phase:
7 months

Active Growth Phase:
Plugs were transplanted into 4 1/2 inch pots when firmly rooted. Plants were grown in a fully automated greenhouse where temperatures were set at 65 F days and 61 F nights. Day length was extended to 12 hours using HID lights. Plants were hand watered when dry and fertilized with 20-10-20 fertilizer at 237 ppm weekly. Plants were then transplanted into 1 gallon containers after 7 weeks and grown under same conditions.

Length of Active Growth Phase:
3 months

Hardening Phase:
Plants were moved outdoors to a cold frame once established in the 1 gallon pots and grown outdoors until planting.

Length of Hardening Phase:
2 weeks

Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:

Length of Storage:

Guidelines for Outplanting / Performance on Typical Sites:

Other Comments:

References:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 2007. Native Plant Database (http://wildflower.org, 2 October 2007) Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin TX 78739 USA
USDA, NRCS. 2007 The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 24 September 2007) National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA

Citation:
Thomas, Catherine Suzanne. 2007. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Aralia racemosa L. plants one gallon container; Chicago Botanic Garden - Propagation Glencoe, Illinois. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/08/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.

Personal tools