1 / 6

Sanicula spp.

sanicles

Apiaceae

Temperate regions worldwide (woodlands of the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa)

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Sanicula spp. is a genus of about 40 species of perennial and biennial herbs in the carrot family (Apiaceae), known as sanicles or black snakeroots. Plants grow 1-4 feet (30-120 cm) tall from a basal rosette of long-stalked leaves that are palmately lobed or divided into toothed segments. The small flowers are greenish white, yellow, or occasionally purple, gathered into tight rounded clusters rather than the broad flat umbels of many relatives in the family. Each flower head is subtended by leafy bracts, and the flowers give way to small dry fruits covered in hooked bristles. These burr-like fruits catch on fur and clothing, which carries the seed to new ground. Most species are woodland plants of shaded, humus-rich soils, and the genus is spread through temperate regions of nearly every continent. Several North American species, such as S. canadensis and S. marilandica, grow in deciduous woods and thickets. The plants are grown chiefly in native and woodland gardens, where the small greenish flowers suit naturalistic planting. Sanicula spp. forms slowly and is long-lived once settled.

Native Range

Sanicula spp. is native to temperate regions across North and South America, Eurasia, and Africa, growing mostly in woodland and shaded grassland. North America holds a number of species, several of them common in eastern and western forests.

Suggested Uses

Planted in native, woodland, and shade gardens, in naturalistic groundlayer plantings under trees, and along shaded paths and stream banks. The clinging fruits and modest flowers suit the genus to supporting roles in mixed woodland plantings. Some species are grown in restoration and habitat plantings for their value to small insects.

How to Identify

Identify Sanicula spp. by its basal, long-stalked leaves divided palmately into three to five toothed lobes and its small, tight, rounded flower clusters on branching stems. The greenish-white to yellow flowers are followed by small egg-shaped fruits densely covered in hooked prickles. The burred fruits and compact heads separate sanicles from most other members of the carrot family, which bear flat-topped umbels and ribbed or winged seeds.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 4'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring Summer

Most Sanicula spp. bloom from late spring into midsummer, with the small flower clusters lasting a few weeks. The flowers are visited by small bees, flies, and other short-tongued insects. The hooked fruits ripen by late summer and cling to passing animals.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

greenish white to yellow

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-6 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years from seed to flowering

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow Sanicula spp. in part to full shade in moist, humus-rich, well-drained woodland soil with a pH of 5.5-7.0. The plants suit the dappled light beneath deciduous trees and shrubs and tolerate dry shade once established, though they grow more strongly with steady moisture. Little feeding is needed where leaf litter or compost is worked into the soil. Plants raised from seed need a cold period to germinate and may take two to three years to flower. They are largely free of serious pests and diseases. Self-sown seedlings appear nearby where the burred fruits drop.

Pruning

No routine pruning is needed beyond removing spent flower stems to limit self-seeding where the burred fruits are not wanted. Tattered or frost-damaged leaves can be cleared in late autumn or early spring. Plants are otherwise left undisturbed.