Aralia spinosa

Habitat: moist woods, stream banks, roadsides, disturbed and successional forests, maritime forests, clearings, and fencerows. Common in the coastal Plain; frequent in the piedmont; infrequent in the mountains.

Low maintenance. Suckers quickly to form a thicket - suckers can travel a distance but easily removed. Spines - can use as a living fence. Showy white summer flower. Large leaves. Seeds are poisonous if chewed

Note: Devil's Walkingstick has heavy, showy white summer flower & fruit sets, producing clusters of round, fleshy black drupes. It is colonial and prickly, thus best for natural areas. Suckers quickly to form a thicket - suckers can travel a distance but easily removed. Can use as a living fence.

Wildlife value: Butterflies and other pollinators nectar at the blooms of this plant. Its fruit is eaten by songbirds, small mammals, foxes, racoons and opossums.