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Aralia spinosa L.
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Kingdom- Plantae (plants)
Subkingdom-Travhebionta (Vascular)
Superdivision-Spermaphyta (seed)
Division-Magnoliophyta (flowering)
Class- Magnoliopsida (dicotyldons)
Subclass- Rosidae
Order-Apiales
Family-Arialaceae (ginseng family)
Genus-Aralia L. (spikenard)
Species- Aralia spinosa L.
10’ to 20’ in height.
6’ to 10’ in width
Deciduous tree with a slow
growth rate.
fig. 1
A light to dark brown.
The bark has large moon shaped leaf scars.
There are prickles on stout stems.
fig. 2
Green twigs branching out
to leafs.
Approximately a cm in
diameter.
Most trees have a single
trunk with twigs and stems
shooting up.
fig. 3
Alternate; two or three
compound leaves.
Leaves may be 3’ to 6’ long.
Dark green in summer.
Yellowish in the fall.
Each leaf has leaflets that are
2” to 4” long.
Oval leaflets that come to a
point and have toothed edges.
fig. 5
fig. 4
From the bud grows green to brown
twigs.
The twigs are covered in prickly
spines.
fig. 6
Small, white
petaled, flowers.
Grow 3” to 4”.
Bloom in late
summer, around
July.
They grow on the
ends of the
branches.
fig. 7
Following the flowers, in late
August, purple-ish berries appear.
They are about .25” and grow on
burgundy stems.
Birds like to eat the berries.
fig. 9
fig. 8
The tree needs rich, moist,
acidic soil.
It grows in the Eastern US in
open woodland areas.
fig. 10
Tree can be used as decorative plant
where contact with spines wouldn’t
occur.
Can be put in front of windows to
deter burglars.
Bark, roots, and berries were used
by indigenous Native Americans.
Parts of the plant have been used to
treat boils, fever, toothache, cholera,
eye problems, skin conditions,
snakebite, and venereal disease.
fig. 11
All found on June 23
and 24, 2010
fig. 1-Tree. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/arsp2.htm
fig. 2-Bark. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/arsp2.htm
fig. 3-Twig. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/arsp2.htm
fig. 4-Leaf. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/image/a/arsp2-lf25393.htm
fig. 5-Leaf. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/image/a/arsp2-lfleaflet25400.htm
fig. 6-Bud. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://plants.entrix.com/web_small/a/arali_spi_bud.jpg
fig. 7-Flower. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/image/a/arsp2-fl28848.htm
fig. 8-Fruit. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=arsp2_010_avp.tif
fig. 9-Fruit. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/image/a/arsp2-fr29434.htm
fig. 10-Map. [Web]. Retrieved from http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARSP2
fig. 11-Limb. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.floridata.com/ref/A/aral_spi.cfm
All found on June 23
and 24, 2010
-Usda plant profile. (2010, May 19). Retrieved from
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARSP2
-Missouri botanical garden. (2001) Retrieved from
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=C2
94
- Evans, Erv. (n.d.). Trees: aralia spinosa. Retrieved from
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/treesnew/aralia_spinosa.html
- Uconn plant database. (2001). Retrieved from
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/a/araspi/araspi1.html
-Floridata: aralia spinosa (n.d.) Retrieved from
http://www.floridata.com/ref/A/aral_spi.cfm