Devil's Walking Stick,  Aralia spinosa

A spectacular, tropical-looking native shrub or small tree known for its massive leaves, creamy summer flower clusters, and distinctive, fiercely spiny stems. Aralia spinosa is native throughout the Southeast, where it is found in moist woods and forest edges from the Coastal Plain up into the mountains. It tends to appear in areas of disturbance. 

Conditions

Sunlight. Thrives in the dappled light of an understory but can tolerate full sun if the soil is kept moist (heliophily 5). Prefers fertile, loamy soil high in organic matter. Avoid perpetually dry or heavy, compacted clay. Prefers consistent moisture and found naturally in moist woods and ravines. Reliably hardy in USDA Zones 4 through 9.

Mature Size is 15 to 25 feet tall (4.5–7.6 m). It typically grows as a shrub or small, slender tree with sparse branching. It is a spreading/suckering plant, often forming dense, thorny thickets.

Aralia spinosa is a high-value native plant, providing abundant resources in late summer and fall, and crucial pollinator nectar. In mid-to-late summer, the plant produces huge, spectacular flat-topped clusters of creamy white flowers. These highly accessible flowers are a major nectar and pollen source for a vast array of bees, flies, wasps, and butterflies at a time when other nectar sources are becoming scarce.

The flowers are followed by dense clusters of glossy, purplish-black berries in the fall. These high-fat, high-energy fruits are a favorite food source for many bird species, including Wood Thrushes, Mockingbirds, Robins, and Catbirds, aiding them in preparation for migration.

Deer Resistant: Due to its fiercely spiny stems and prickly foliage, the Devil's Walking Stick is generally resistant to browsing by White-tailed Deer. It would also make a nice addition to property edges to discourage trespassers. 

Propagation

Aralia spinosa seeds have double dormancy (a hard seed coat and embryo dormancy), requiring a special warm-cold stratification process. Either winter sow or provide warm and cold stratification.

First, to overcome chemical dormancy in the embryo, mix the seeds with moist sand or peat moss and place them in a sealed bag at room temperature for 60 days. Keep the media consistently moist.

After the warm period, move the sealed bag into the refrigerator for 90 days. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep in pots or trays filled with a sterile, moist seed-starting mix. Germination is slow and can be erratic, taking several weeks to months after the cold period ends.

Other bits of interest

The plant's menacing common name is due to the sharp, sturdy spines that densely cover the stems, petioles (leaf stalks), and even the main veins of the leaves, offering serious protection.

It is celebrated for its huge, bipinnately compound leaves (leaves divided into leaflets, which are themselves divided into smaller leaflets). These leaves can reach 3 to 4 feet in length, giving the plant a stunning, tropical, palm-like appearance.

Taxonomy: The genus Aralia is related to ginseng (Panax) and ivy (Hedera) and is known for its complex leaf structures and spiny stems.