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August 2025: Devil's Walkingstick
- TreesLexington Staff
- Aug 10
- 2 min read
By Andy Mead
This Devil’s Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa) is located in African Cemetery No. 2 at 419 East Seventh Street. Trees Lexington planted two at this location. The cemetery has graves dating to the early 1800s. After years of restoration and tree planting, it is an accredited arboretum.
Devil’s Walkingstick (sometimes listed at Devil’s Walking Stick and also known as Hercules’ Club) is native to the Eastern United States. It commonly is found in wooded margins and along streams in riparian zones. It is often grown as an ornamental, having interesting compound foliage, summer flowers, and juicy black fruit. Butterflies and other pollinators are attracted to its flowers and its fruit is eaten by birds, small mammals, raccoons, opossums and
foxes.
It gets its name from one of its most distinguishing characteristics: The sharp thorns on its trunk and stems. Caution must be used when handling the bark and roots because it may cause allergic skin reactions. On the plus side: Deer avoid it.
It typically grows 10 to 15 feet tall with an umbrella-like canopy of compound leaves that are some of the largest in North America. It is drought tolerant. But, because it can form colonies and is prickly, it is best suited for natural areas and not lawns.
Finally, Devil’s Walkingstick should not be confused with the almost identical but noxious, invasive, non-native Japanese Angelica Tree (Aralia elata).
Here’s where you can learn more:
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