Aralia spinosa
Hercule's club, Devil's walking stick, Petty morel
- Height × spread
- 10m × 4m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Very cold to -20C (RHS H6)
- Flowers
- Summer
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This makes a substantial tree in its North American homeland where it may reach as much as ten metres in height. In the UK it is likely to be much smaller but will produce suckers with avidity! Place it where these can be removed so that the architectural effect of the plant can be maintained. It has prickly stems (hence the popular name - Devil's walking stick). The leaves are held in large, showy, pinnate sprays that are high on visual impact. The leaves are coloured a dark bluish green on their upper surface and have a lighter colour beneath, the surface of the underside is pubescent (furry) to the touch. It flowers from June to August producing frothy panicles of white flowers that are followed by conical clusters of fruits which birds enjoy eating. The leaves may turn yellow before they fall.
- Flower colour
- White
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Stem colour
- Brown
- Fruit colour
- Black
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Fan
- Height
- 10m
- Spread
- 4m
- Height in 10 years
- 6m
- Spread in 10 years
- 2.5m
- Season of interest
- Summer
- Flowers in
- Summer
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Exotic garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, likes part shade
- Soil type
- Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil
- Hardiness
- Very cold to -20C (RHS H6)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Architectural, Bee attraction, Sensory garden (tactile)
- Hazards
- Yes, stems are prickly/thorny
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed with slow release fertiliser
Apply a general purpose slow release fertiliser, spreading it around the root area of the plant as it is coming into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water to keep the soil moist
For best results, this plant needs soil that is always moist. Water deeply and regularly as soon as soil appears dry. Even for established plants in the ground, a dry week can cause problems with some soils. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather. Or install an automatic irrigation system which will do the hard work for you, even when you are away on holiday.
Without regular watering some plants never fully regain their beauty.
Spring - early · Planting
Remove suckers
Remove any suckers that have appeared round the base of the plant. They can often be pulled up, but it may be necessary to use secateurs or loppers to detach them from the parent plant.
Planting & general
Outdoor planting · Planting
Add root growth stimulant to the planting hole
Mycorrhizal fungi helps roots establish quickly, so they absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. It comes as a powder, granule or gel. Add to the planting hole or container, and to the plant's rootball before planting in the hole. For "bareroot" plants use a gel.
Planting
Protect & support young trees
Attach a newly planted tree or tall shrub over 1m to a tree stake to give support and prevent windrock. Use a tree guard to stop tree bark being eaten by animals, especially in areas with deer - removing bark injures a tree and in worst case can kill it.