Devil’s walking stick

Exit78 Photo of the Day1 #18

The only place we’ve seen this nasty looking plant is on the trails at Petit Jean State Park.

Devils Walking Stick, Seven Hollows Trail, Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas, November 17, 2007 (Pentax K10D)

Devils Walking Stick, Seven Hollows Trail, Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas, November 17, 2007 (Pentax K10D)

Aralia spinosa2

Aralia spinosa, commonly known as devil’s walkingstick, is a woody species of plants in the genus Aralia, family Araliaceae, native to eastern North America. The various names refer to the viciously sharp, spiny stems, petioles, and even leaf midribs. It has also been known as Angelica-tree.


  1. Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
  2. Aralia spinosa – Wikipedia
arkansas, autumn, exit78 photo of the day, hiking, parks, photography, plants

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Rummuser Feb 25, 2018 Link

    Good thing that you did not comment with a link to this on my post
    http://rummuser.com/memory-trigger-16-the-walking-stick/

    Please read all the comments there! It would have been a fitting finale if you had just added this and called all my sticks as the Devil’s!
    Rummuser recently posted…Water Problems.My Profile

    • Mike Feb 25, 2018 Link

      I remember the picture of your collection of walking sticks.

      I don’t have any. The closest is the hiking sticks we sometimes use on trails. I have pretty much stopped using one, though, as it gets in the way when I always have a camera in my hand.
      Mike recently posted…Twisted, gnarled, knotted, knobby woodMy Profile

  • Hilary Feb 25, 2018 Link

    Hi Mike – that looks lethal. In South Africa, Namibia and Botswana they have a creeper plant nicknamed ‘devil’s claw’ … lethal if you step on it. Having just checked the name – I hadn’t realised its value … apparently it is one the main medicinal plants of the area. Cheers Hilary

    • Mike Feb 26, 2018 Link

      It’s actually a bit of an enlargement. You can get a pretty good scratch or puncture from one of these, but it would only be lethal if the injury got infected.
      Mike recently posted…DockMy Profile

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