FNPS Plant Database

Aralia spinosa

devil's walkingstick
  • Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

devil's walkingstick

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Aralia spinosa

Family:

Araliaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Shrub

Size:

8–12 ft tall

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

purple, black

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms in spring. Fruit ripe in fall

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Thorns

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen plant or background hedge.

Considerations:

When its huge triply compound leaves are shed in the fall, only the main thorny stem is left standing through the winter months--hence the name devil's walking stick. In the right situation, it can sucker aggressively.

Availability:

FNPS Plant Sales

Propagation:

Seed, division.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Acidic to neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A, 8B, 9A, 9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds, Mammals

Attracts butterflies and bees. Documented bee species include Colletes mandibularis, Hylaeus confluens, Augochlora pura, Coelioxys dolichos, C. Texana, Megachile mendica, M. Xylocopoides, and Epeolus zonatus (Deyrup et al. 2002).

Birds and small mammals consume the fruit. Birds include nuthatches, orioles, chickadees, titmice, and warblers.

Native Habitats:

The edges of dry hammocks and dry hardwood forests

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

The aromatic spicy roots and fruit were used by early settlers in home remedies, including a cure for toothaches.

General Comments:

FNPS Blog article.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville, TN.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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