At first glance, there isn’t anything particularly strange about this small tree growing in the woods of Upstate South Carolina. The leaves are large and green, and it blends easily with everything else growing along the forest floor.

Then you look at the trunk.

It is covered in sharp prickles.

The strange native plant is called Devil’s Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa), and once you know what to look for, it is one of the easier plants to recognize in the South Carolina woods.

Quick Look

Common name: Devil’s Walking Stick
Scientific name: Aralia spinosa
Other names: Hercules’ Club, Angelica Tree, Prickly Ash
Native to South Carolina: Yes
Typical size: Often 10–20 feet, but can reach around 35 feet
Flowers: Small white or cream flowers in large clusters
Fruit: Dark purple to black berries
Best identifying feature: Sharp prickles covering the trunk and stems

Why Is It Called Devil’s Walking Stick?

One look at the trunk gives you a pretty good idea.

The stems and trunk can be covered with stout, sharp prickles. Even parts of the leaf stalk can have them. A bare stem looks a little like a walking stick that nobody in their right mind would want to grab.

The plant is also called Hercules’ Club, another name inspired by its club-like and heavily armed stems.

Despite its intimidating appearance, Devil’s Walking Stick is a native plant, not an invasive species. Its natural range includes much of the eastern United States, including South Carolina.

Those Aren’t Really Individual Leaves

One of the most interesting things about Devil’s Walking Stick is its foliage.

What may appear to be a branch covered in leaves can actually be part of a single enormous compound leaf.

The leaves are divided two or three times into smaller leaflets and can reach several feet in length. NC State Extension reports that the complete leaves can grow as long as 5 feet.

That can give the plant an almost tropical appearance during the summer.

The combination of huge compound leaves and a prickly trunk makes identification much easier.

Where Does Devil’s Walking Stick Grow?

This plant is right at home in our part of the country.

Devil’s Walking Stick occurs naturally in South Carolina and throughout much of the Southeast. It can be found around woodland openings, forest edges, thickets, stream areas, and other places where sunlight can reach it.

It actually doesn’t do particularly well beneath a heavily shaded forest canopy. Disturbed areas and openings provide the sunlight it needs, which is one reason you may notice it along trails, roadsides and woodland edges.

It can also spread through underground rhizomes and produce new shoots. Given the right conditions, several plants can eventually form a thicket.

Look for Flowers in Late Summer

The prickles aren’t the only unusual feature.

Devil’s Walking Stick produces large clusters containing numerous tiny white or cream-colored flowers during the summer. The U.S. Forest Service reports that flowering generally occurs during July and August.

Insects, including bees, visit those flowers.

The flowers are eventually replaced by clusters of small fruits that turn dark purple or black. Fruit generally ripens from September into October. Birds and other wildlife help spread the seeds.

So a plant that looks like a thorn-covered monster for part of the year can become a surprisingly attractive native plant later in the season.

Is Devil’s Walking Stick Dangerous?

The prickles are the most obvious reason to give it some space.

They are sharp enough that grabbing the trunk or pushing through a patch of these plants is a bad idea. That is especially worth remembering when hiking with children or dogs.

NC State Extension also lists the plant as having low toxicity if eaten and notes that its bark and roots may cause skin irritation in some people. Raw unripe fruit should not be eaten.

This is definitely a plant better admired than handled.

Is It Good for Wildlife?

Yes.

The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while the fruits provide a food source for birds and other wildlife. NC State Extension specifically lists songbirds, pollinators, and small mammals among the wildlife attracted to the plant.

That makes Devil’s Walking Stick another example of a native plant that may look strange to us but still has a role in the local ecosystem.

Would You Want One in Your Yard?

Maybe, but location would matter.

Devil’s Walking Stick has ornamental value because of its huge leaves, late-summer flowers, and dark fruit. It is also a native plant that benefits wildlife.

The downside is obvious: those prickles.

It can also spread by root suckers and form colonies. Cutting it down doesn’t necessarily solve the problem because new shoots can emerge from the underground root system.

If one is already growing naturally along the edge of a property where people rarely walk, there may be a good reason to leave it alone.

Next to a sidewalk, children’s play area, or frequently used trail?

Probably not the best location.

Keep an Eye Out in the Upstate

Devil’s Walking Stick is one of those native plants that is easy to walk past until you know what you’re seeing.

The leaves don’t immediately scream “strange plant.”

The trunk certainly does.

The next time you’re exploring the woods around Pickens County or elsewhere in Upstate South Carolina, look for a small tree with enormous compound leaves and a trunk covered in wicked-looking prickles.

Just don’t use it as a walking stick.