Devil's Walking Stick
Aralia spinosa

The Devil’s walking stick is a shrub with large leaves and white flowers. The plant derives its name from its thick, thorny stems.

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A large shrub with compound leaves and purple berries.
The Devil's walking stick is a large shrub that blooms with dark purple berries in early autumn. (Photo courtesy of Wayne Longbottom/iNaturalist CC BY-NC)

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Appearance

The Devil’s walking stick is a large shrub with compound leaves and white flowers blooming in the late summer. The plant can also be distinguished by its coarse, thorny stems and its deep purple berries which bloom in early autumn.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Devil’s walking stick produces clusters of small white flowers in late summer that are pollinated by bees and other insects. The plant produces berries in the fall. Birds and other mammals eat these berries and then spread the seeds. Devil’s walking stick also uses underground rhizomes to sprout new plants.

Did You Know?

  • During the American Civil War, Devil’s walking stick was used as a medicine, specifically for toothaches.

  • Devil’s walking stick gets its name from its long stems which are adorned with thorny spikes.

  • Although the berries that grow on the Devil’s walking stick are edible for humans, eating too many can be poisonous.

Sources and Additional Information

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Plants & Trees Trees & Shrubs Forests & Uplands