A: I believe you are referring to a plant that is more commonly called Devil’s Walking Stick, Aralia spinosa. This plant can reach heights of 25-30 feet with a 6-10 foot spread. It grows in full sun to partial shade in a variety of soil types but it prefers well-drained soils. Devil’s Walking Stick has been known to survive occasional flooding although it does not want to be in continual water. It thrives on neglect so place it in the landscape where it will not receive heavy fertilization or irrigation. It can be trained, with pruning, to be a multi-stem or a single trunk tree. It has beautiful fall colored compound foliage but it is deciduous, which means it loses its leaves in the fall. The trunk is spiny and extremely sharp. Once the leaves drop, it is not necessarily an attractive shrub without leaves as it resembles a bare stick with barbs. The compound leaves can grow to 4 feet long and 3 feet wide, each with their own prickles. Devil’s Walking Stick has no known disease or insect problems. The fruit provides food for local birds, but is not messy. If you decide to plant this American native tree, you should consider putting it in an area where normal landscape duties (mowing, pruning, edging, weed-eating) will not be required as the spines and prickles could pose a problem.

0