Copy permalink to share
Araliaceae
Aralia

Aralia spinosa Linnaeus. Common name: Devil's-walking-stick, Hercules's-club, Prickly-ash, Angelica-tree. Phenology: Jun-Sep. Habitat: Disturbed pocosins and bottomlands, disturbed areas, moist to dry forests and woodlands. Distribution: NJ west to s. IN, IL, and IA, south to c. peninsular FL and e. TX.

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Smith (1982) discussed the juvenile (prickly) and adult (unarmed) leaf phases of A. spinosa.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, F, Fl7, FNA13, G, GW2, Il, K4, Mo2, NE, NY, Ok, Pa, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, Frodin & Govaerts (2003), Moore, Glenn, & Ma (2009), Smith (1944), Smith (1982a). Basionym: Aralia spinosa L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Aralia spinosa - FNA13

Show in key(s)

Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)

Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC
  • Great Plains: FACU
  • Midwest: FACW
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FAC

Heliophily ⓘ: 5

Your browser does not support SVGs

Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.

image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jake Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jake Smith source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jennifer Ogle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jennifer Ogle source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© abelkinser, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jake Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jake Smith source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Collectors SOS | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Collectors SOS | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Collectors SOS | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Janet Wright, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Janet Wright source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© J.W. Hardin | Original Image ⭷

Feedback

See something missing or incorrect about Aralia spinosa? Let us know here:

  1. Please include your name and if possible, email in case when need to clarify what you wrote.
  2. If you opt out of including email, please be as specific as possible (e.g., which photo is incorrect?)
  3. Please do not submit questions asking to identify plants or about horticultural topics (e.g., how do I control an invasive plant in my garden?). Instead, those questions can be submitted here for the Carolinas region only.
  4. Please do not send us feedback about unkeyed species as this work is ongoing.
  5. Please allow time for flora edits to show in our next data release. We greatly appreciate your feedback but may require extra time to research complicated taxonomic issues.

Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro:

Stems:

Leaves:

Inforescence:

Flowers: Whitish flowers.

Fruits:

Comments:

Height: 12-15 ft.

plant sale text: This showy, fast-growing shrub is often favored for its attractive flowers and somewhat tropical appearance. Its flowers are a source of nectar for bees and butterflies alike, and birds enjoy its seeds in the fall. It has a rich history of human usage as well. The aromatic roots and fruits were used to treat tooth-ache, and the flowers are valued for their lemony fragrance. Care should be taken when selecting a location for Devil's Walking-stick due to its spines and its tendency to spread via rhizomes and suckers.

bloom table text:

description:

stems:

leaves:

inflorescence:

flowers: Whitish flowers.

fruits:

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern United States



0 unsaved edits on this page.

« show previous | back to original search ↑