Prickly Elder Aralia spinosa

Aralia spinosa, commonly called devil’s walking stick or Hercules' club, gets its common name from the stout, sharp spines found on its leaf stalks, stems and branches. This is a large, upright, suckering, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 10-15’ tall, but infrequently grows as a small flat topped tree to as much as 35’ tall. In its native range in the eastern U.S., it is commonly found in wood margins, fields and pastures as well as a forest or natural area at the edge of woods or along streams in moist woods. Its interesting compound foliage, late summer flowers, juicy black fruit and spiny stems give this shrub distinctive and unique ornamental interest. It has sparse, upright, mostly unbranched, club-like branches, ringed with conspicuous leaf scars and spines. These plants are typically naked at the bottom but crowned at the top by umbrella-like canopies of huge compound leaves. Its stiff branches are at nearly right angles and its large compound leaves are the largest in North America. This plant is easy to transplant and makes an excellent addition to a pollinator garden.

Devil's Walkingstick has heavy flower & fruit sets, producing clusters of round, fleshy black drupes. It is colonial and prickly, thus best for natural areas. It grows well in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It prefers moist, fertile, humusy loams, but will tolerate a wide range of soils including rocky ones and clay. This plant is drought tolerant,  generally tolerates many urban pollutants, and is best sited in areas sheltered from strong winds, to help protect the large compound leaves. It is also easily grown from seed, division of suckers or root cuttings. Plants will spread somewhat rapidly by self-seeding and suckering to form thickets. Promptly remove root suckers to prevent unwanted naturalization.

This plant is highly resistant to damage from deer.  Butterflies and other insects nectar at its blooms and its fruit is eaten by songbirds, small mammals, foxes, raccoons and opossums. It has no serious insect or disease problems, although it is susceptible to leaf spots. Aphids and mealybugs may appear. Handling its bark and roots may cause allergic skin reactions.