Healerwitch's Garden
Devils Walking Stick
Genus: Aralia.
Species: Aralia spinosa.
This shrub was first used in the United States in landscaping in 1688, being used as a novelty item. For some reason this sprawling bush was considered desirable in the landscape, with vicious thorns it propagates easily from seeds, cuttings, or suckers! Once you have it, it is hard to eradicate due to the thorns, and its growth habit.
This is one of the plants we have growing wild. It produces blue black berries every year that the birds and other wildlife love! Both American Indians and early settlers used the bark, roots, and berries for medicine, but it is a purgative (causes vomiting) if not dried first. Various parts of the plant were used to treat boils, fever, toothache, cholera, eye problems, skin conditions, etc.
The Cherokee used the plant for the above reasons, and also as a dye plant that produced a gray dye.
