Aralia spinosa L.

Devil's Walking Stick

© KBildner

Family - Araliaceae

Habit - Shrubs or small trees, colonial from long rhizomes.

Stems - Ascending or erect, to 12 m, woody, mostly unbranched, with stout spines, these mostly just below the leaf scars. Bark with shallow furrows and longitudinal plates, dark brown. Leaf scars linear, U-shaped, with several bundle scars in a single row.

	Young stem.
© SRTurner

	Older stem. Spines are often concentrated at nodes.
© SRTurner

	Node with spines.
© DETenaglia

Leaves - Alternate, large, to 1.5 m long, 2 or 3 times pinnately compound, the ultimate branches with 9-13 leaflets, the leaflets 4-13 cm long, ovate, toothed, the upper surface dark green, the undersurface lighter green, often with hairs or minute spines along the midvein.

	Single leaf (partial).
© SRTurner

	Leaflets adaxial.
© SRTurner

	Leaflets abaxial.
© SRTurner

	Newly emerging leaf in spring. Note spines already present on rachises.
© SRTurner

Inflorescences - Large, terminal, highly branched panicles with numerous umbels, the branches hairy, usually turning red at maturity. Plants apparently polygamomonoecious, having staminate, pistillate, and perfect flowers on the same plant.

	Inflorescence.
© SRTurner

	Inflorescence detail, showing both staminate and pistillate portions.
© SRTurner

Flowers - Sepals 5 low, triangular teeth. Petals distinct, 5, 2-3 mm long, reflexed, white. Styles 5. Stamens 5.

	Staminate flowers.
© SRTurner

	Pistillate flowers.
© SRTurner

Fruits - Globose drupes, 4-6 mm in diameter, black when mature.

	Fruits.
© DETenaglia

Flowering - June - September.

Habitat - Moist soils, woods, wooded slopes. Sometimes cultivated.

Origin - Native to the U.S.

Other info. - Native populations of this interesting species occur in the bootheel region of Missouri, and across the southern and eastern U.S. There are reports of native occurrences in Missouri as far north as St. Louis.

One glimpse of the spiny nodes is sufficient for identification. Under favorable conditions the plant can form large colonies. The inflorescences are large and striking, though they are typically borne high and out of reach. A closer look can sometimes be gained by bending young saplings down. Care is needed to avoid damage, both to the tree AND to the hands, since even young leaf stalks can be spiny! The plant would make a good garden subject provided space is available for its tall and suckering habit. The black fruits with purplish pulp are eaten by birds and other wildlife, and have sometimes been used to dye hair black. The relatively soft wood was once used in woodworking to make small items such as pen racks, button boxes, frames for photographs, and small furniture items. An infusion of the yellow inner bark purportedly was used for toothaches, but the bark and roots cause dermatitis in some individuals.

Photograph taken at Kansas City Zoo, 6-24-99, and at Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes County, NC., 9-1-02 (DETenaglia); also at Morris State Park, Dunklin County, MO, 4-10-2018, Holly Ridge Conservation Area, Stoddard County, MO, 10-17-2017, 5-29-2020, 8-16-2021, and 5-23-2022 (SRTurner); also at Holly Ridge Conservation Area, Stoddard County, MO, 8-16-2021 (KBildner).