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Family: Araliaceae (Ginseng family)
Mid-Atlantic bloom time: May - July
Wild Sarsaparilla appears to have multiple leaves, but it actually only has one (or occasionally 2) leaves. The leaf emerges as a rachis (stem) and, about 15-40 cm above the ground, palmately splits into 3 leaflets, which then further split into 3 or 5 leaflets (making the plant look a bit like a small hickory). But look closely: the plant is not woody, and the 3 major leaflets all emerge from a single point, not alternately like a hickory would.
The flowers are on a separate stalk, typically in 3 globe-shaped clusters that eventually get almost as tall as the leaves.
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28 May 2021
Shenandoah National Park (Central District), VA 
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28 May 2021
Shenandoah National Park (Central District), VA 
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28 May 2021
Shenandoah National Park (Central District), VA (note serrations on leaflets) 
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28 May 2021
Shenandoah National Park (Central District), VA 
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21 June 2021
Shenandoah National Park (Central District), VA (ripening seed heads) 
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