Inclusion in Plant ID / Comparison Guides

This photo is featured in 2 plant ID/comparison guides:

collage of Clustered Blacksnakeroot and Small's Blacksnakeroot

Clustered Blacksnakeroot (Sanicula odorata) vs. Small's Blacksnakeroot (Sanicula smallii)

Updated May 31st, 2022

These species are sometimes confused, owing in part to several widely-circulating misidentified specimens and photographs that have been reproduced on numerous websites. They are easy to distinguish by leaf shape, color, and texture, as well as by differences in inflorescence or fruit. There is also less overlap in habitat between these species than between most Sanicula; S. odorata prefers sunnier, moister, more disturbed habitats, and is restricted to open deciduous woodlands, whereas S. smallii prefers shadier, drier, less disturbed habitats with more intact leaf or needle litter, and can be found in both deciduous (especially oak) and mixed pine-hardwood forest.

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collage of Canadian Blacksnakeroot and Small's Blacksnakeroot

Canadian Blacksnakeroot (Sanicula canadensis) vs. Small's Blacksnakeroot (Sanicula smallii)

Updated May 31st, 2022

Sanicula are notoriously hard to distinguish. These two species can be confused where their ranges overlap, as both tend to have 3 leaflets with similar shapes, tiny bright white flowers, and both can be found in deciduous forests as well as mixed pine-hardwood forests. They can be easily distinguished by differences in their inflorescence, and, especially during the growing season, by differences in leaf color and texture shape. S. canadensis is more likely on disturbed sites and ranges into slightly wetter and sunnier sites, whereas S. smallii prefers sites with richer leaf litter, and also ranges onto slightly drier and shadier sites.

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