View photos of the medicinal plant Aralia nudicaulis (Wild Sarsaparilla).

Unrelated to true Sarsaparilla (Smilax), Wild sarsaparilla looks a lot like Ginseng (Panax), above ground anyway. It’s even in the same family (Araliaceae) as Ginseng and also shares membership with Spikenard (Aralia racemosa).

The plant is colony-forming and can be interesting to collect – its cord-like runners often connect plants separated by 5’-10’. Select a leafy bunch, gently pull, and see where the runner leads. And since the plant prefers hardwood forests with lots of obscuring leaf litter, you never know where it’s going to take you. I’ve always collected it in the Northeast, but it’s also in found in similar habitats in several interior western states.

Due to Wild sarsaparilla’s family association (Ginseng) herbalists sometimes claim it can be used like the former. Not really – at least not in sane quantities. Here’s what the research states: ten times the amount of Wild sarsaparilla leaf (or nearly 200 times that of the root) is needed to equal the ginsenoside concentration found in one dose of American ginseng root. It’s interesting is that the ginsenoside concentration for Wild sarsaparilla is highest in the leaf, but sill, that’s a lot of plant material (and unwanted secondary compounds) to get to one dose of Ginseng.

Realistically, use the root of this plant as a bronchial (primary) and renal (secondary) anti-inflammatory, especially in conditions that are chronic and have become difficult to resolve. I like to mix Wild sarsaparilla with Spikenard, but only when the area (lungs) will respond positively to Spikenard’s aromatics and resins. Both plants are related in activity, however think of Spikenard as more appropriate for chronic bronchitis with thickened phlegm (and a more advanced microbial element). Wild sarsaparilla is better used to address the underlying inflammation and bronchial tissue fatigue. In boxing terms, think of Spikenard as like working the heavy bag. Wild sarsaparilla’s like finesse and form training.