Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Plant of the Day: Devil's Walkingstick

Aralia spinosa (Araliaceae)

Devil's walkingstick is named for its relatively long and strait stem that looks like it might make a good walking stick. There are, however, small thorns all along the stem and the center is pith. What a metaphor. The leaves of this plant were taken to treat chest pain during the Civil War.

No comments:

Post a Comment