devil's walkingstick
Family
AraliaceaeScientific Name
Aralia spinosaOther Common Names:
shotbush
prickly ash
pigeon tree
prickly elder
angelica tree
Habit
This is a perennial shrub or tree that can reach heights of 10m tall.
Leaves
The leaves of devil's walkingstick are arranged alternately. Leaves are pinnately compound with serrate leaf margins. They are typically 13cm long and 7cm wide. Leaflets have definate leaf stalks.
Identifying Characteristics
Stems and leaf stalks are prickly.
Flower Seed Head
Flowers are white and around 2-3mm long. Flowers are arranged in a terminal panicle 10-12dm long.
Seed Fruit
The fruit of devil's walkingstick is 4-6mm in diameter.
Where Found
This weed is found in moist woods, stream banks, and roadsides.
Growth Habit
woody bush or tree
Thorns or Spines
present
Approximate Flower Diameter
pencil
Dominant Flower Color
white
Flower Symmetry
bilateral symmetry
Leaf Hairs
no hairs
Leaf Shape
oval
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Margin
serrated
Leaf Structure
pinnate
Leaf Stalk
shorter than leaf
Stem Hairs
no hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
not present
Life Cycle
perennial
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Shrub