Wild Sarsaparilla

Wild sarsaparilla is an herbaceous, 12" to 24”, shade tolerant perennial plant that grows in moist to dry deciduous and mixed forests, thickets, river bottoms, bog and prairie edges. The wild sarsaparilla berries grow on a separate stalk under the leaves, are dark purple and are a black bear favorite. They ripen in the middle of the blueberry season, ripening in late July and lasting into early August. For the 2-3 weeks of wild sarsaparilla berries, bears hardly touch blueberries.