Aptly Named

Not many of us run around calling plants by their scientific names. Not many of us could pronounce these goofy sounding names if we tried. That said, it is no wonder most plants have acquired common monikers..easier to say..easier to remember. Case in point..Aralia Spinosa. I grew up calling this Prickly Ash Tree. I could not tell you if this is the actual name or just one that seemed to fit, but Boy!..is it ever prickly!

Out behind the house under a thickly clustered grove of assorted trees, I spied a unique sapling. This little tree actually excited me a bit since I have not seen one for many years. Obviously, a bird ..umm.. "planted" a tree for me! This small sapling was covered from top to bottom with thorns! "Prickly Ash!", I declared! This immediately brought back memories of running through the woods as a kid and coming in contact with a mini grove of these trees. Trust me when I say, this is not something you ever want to do..come in contact with even one of these trees! They hurt! They hurt....tremendously! It also brought back memories of "skinning" (peeling the bark) from young saplings that were about twenty feet in height. One might wonder just why in the world a person would skin a tree, but it was for good reason! My brother found that once skinned, (and still green) the young tree was very flexible and yet still very strong. He was a budding track star and needed to practice. The young tree (sans its bark and thorns) became a homemade pole to be used in the sport of pole vaulting. I must admit that it worked well and when it came time for him to compete with an actual pole, he was excellent! Using that homemade, heavy and much stiffer pole gave him the edge when he was handed the actual piece of sporting equipment.

I have also heard this tree called the Devil's Walking Stick. This name, too, I can understand. It would stand to reason that the old Devil himself would have a walking stick that would be evil and covered with thorns. The tree's trunk is as prickly, poky, spiny as they get! Like I said, it is not something that is fun to contact! As nature-loving as I am, this is one tree that I absolutely refuse to hug! (hehe) Aside from the obvious detrimental side of the tree, (which in the way you look at it, is all sides!) there are pluses to having this tree in the yard. It is quite the conversation piece as it looks a tad prehistoric. Panicles of creamy white flowers appear in Midsummer and later in the Fall the clusters of fruit ripen to purplish black drupes. Birds and animals feed upon the fruit as it ripens. There are stories of how this tree was used in the past for many different uses medicinally. None of these uses have been proven but it is still interesting that something so potentially dangerous could have a positive use.

So....the small tree will be extracted from the undergrowth and replanted in some wide open spot. Here it will be easily noticed and not be a danger to any unsuspecting visitor to the Bayou. I can enjoy the beauty of the small tree, the birds will have the pleasure of eating the fruit and the tree will be free to flourish. But warning...Tree-huggers..This is one tree that is off-limits! You hug at your own risk!