Aralia spinosa L., family Araliaceae. Devil's Walkingstick, Hercules Club or American Angelica Tree An unusual tree, native to south-east United States, rarely cultivated. Height may reach 9m (30ft). Flowers are small, white, and open in August in round clusters grouped into a huge panicle, sometimes about 1-1.2m (3-4ft) long. Fruit are small, round, black and fleshy, ripening in October. Leaf is unlike any other, 1-1.2m (3-4ft) long, 0·7m (2½ft) wide. Each leaflet has a tiny stalk, but other Aralia species have sessile leaflets. The twigs bear stout prickles. The berries and bark of roots contain a stimulant which has been used in medicine. Zone 5.