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Aralia spinosa - (image 1 of 7)

Taxonomy

Family: Araliaceae

Habitat

Moist or wet woods.

Associates

Distribution

DE and southern IN and MO, south to FL and TX; introduced north to NY, southern New England, and MI.

Morphology

Shrub or small tree to 12 m; stem, branches, petioles, and leaf-rachis with stout prickles. Leaves to 1 m, mostly twice-compound; leaflets ovate, 4-10 cm, acute to acuminate, serrate, acute or broadly rounded at the base. Umbels numerous, in a large, terminal, compound panicle. Fruit black.

Notes

Flowers June to July

Wetland Indicator: Facultative

Also called Hercules' Club. Apparently introduced, it can be found in the Catskills region of NY and a few other counties across the state. This specimen was photographed in Clearfield, PA.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

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