Medicinal Monday - American Spikenard

This shrubby looking soft-stemmed herbaceous perennial is in the Gingsing family that is native to Canada and much of the northeast stretching south to Georgia and west to Missouri. Native Americans used almost every part of this plant for medicinal purposes to treat everything from burns and colds to venereal disease.

About American Spikenard

This shrubby plant is found on wooded slopes, hillsides, and in ravines.  The root is aromatic and can run up to three feet long through the soil.  It sends up stalks that can grow up to seven feet high. Large toothed leaves grow on the stalks below the clusters of flowers.  The large tapered flower clusters are made up of several umbrels composed of tiny white or green flowers growing above the leafy stem of foliage.  The flowers usually bloom in June.  The flowers are replaced by purple-red berries in the fall.  The plant reseeds itself and, also spreads by its aromatic taproot.

Medicinal & Culinary Uses

Spikenard is native to the Eastern United States and has a long tradition of being used by the Native American communities living in the area.  Native Americans use the entire root as food, some mix the berries and wild onions with meat. 

Medicinally, the Algonquin used an infusion of the roots to treat both diabetes and tuberculous. Many Native American communities used a decoction of the roots and berries as an expectorant to treat coughs including the  Algonquin, Cherokee, Chippewa, Iroquois, Malecite, and Micmac.  Another common use was to aid women in pregnancy and help with menstrual problems. The Choctaw used a decoction of the root to steam sore eyes and made a sweet decoction to give to children suffering from colic. Iroquois and Menominee made a compound decoction from the roots and used it to strengthen and purify the blood.  The Iroquois made an infusion of the entire plant to treat venereal disease and the Mimac used the root to treat gonorrhea.  The Penobscot used a compound infusion of the plant to treat rheumatism and the Malecite mixed the roots with red osier dogwood and smoked this combination for headaches.

Did You Know...

American Spikenard is also called Indian Root, Spignet, life-of man, old man's root, petty morel, and Fleabane.

It is also known as wild or false sarsaparilla because of its licorice flavor.


In Appalachia, a tea is made of roots for backache.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS)

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs.  We have an outdoor replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village and Wigwam Escape and a Museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.