L.
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.136759
Element CodePDARA02052
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderApiales
FamilyAraliaceae
GenusAralia
SynonymsAralia racemosa ssp. racemosa
Other Common NamesAralie à grappes (FR)
Concept ReferenceKartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic CommentsThis record represents Aralia racemosa in the narrow sense following FNA (vol. 13, 2024) not including A. bicrenata. FNA (vol. 13, 2024) elevates A. racemosa ssp. bicrenata to full species as A. bicrenata, and A. racemosa ssp. racemosa to full species as A. racemosa. In contrast, Kartesz (1994, 1999) treated A. racemosa in a broad sense with two subspecies distinguished (ssp. bicrenata and ssp. racemosa).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-06-25
Change Date2016-05-13
Edition Date2025-06-24
Edition AuthorsSusan Spackman, David Anderson, and Steve Thomas (1/00); rev. Eric Nielsen (1/00), rev. Johnson, J. (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank ReasonsAralia racemosa is a perennial herb that is common in the eastern United States and southern Canada. This species depends on shady forest habitats and may be susceptible to habitat loss due to development and logging. Although numerous populations are documented in protected areas, other occurrences may be susceptible to collection for herbal medicine.
Range Extent CommentsAralia racemosa is common in the eastern United States and Canada from Quebec south to northern Georgia and east to the edge of the Great Plains from Arkansas to Manitoba (FNA 2024). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences CommentsBy applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025, there are estimated to be more than 1600 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact CommentsAralia racemosa is listed by the United Plant Savers At Risk Forum on their "To Watch" list. This list consists of "herbs which are broadly used in commerce and which, due to over-harvest, loss of habitat, or by the nature of their innate rareness or sensitivity are either at risk or have significantly declined in numbers within their current range" (United Plant Savers 2000). There are currently no reports that individual populations have been negatively impacted or extirpated due to collection for the plant trade, but as other members of the ginseng family become increasingly rare due to wild harvesting and habitat loss, it is likely that this species will be collected more intensively as a substitute. Small, disjunct populations could be threatened in the future if harvest of wild populations of this species increases.
Aralia racemosa may also be threatened by development, road maintenance, logging, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.