Aralia spinosa: The Devil's Walking Stick, a dangerous but colorful North American native

The thorns arising from the woody trunks and stems 

give this small tree its name.

Aralia spinosa, aka The Devil's Walking Stick or Hercules Club, is our #treetuesday woody plant of the week.  In the ginseng (Aralia) family it is native to eastern North America. It's been many years since I've seen a stand of them, but found these in a much cutover slope near Charlottesville, Va. 

Small white flowers develop into these showy maroon berries

 in the autumn 

The tri-pinnately compound leaves are another distinguishing 

characteristic of this handsome but straggly tree.

Ginkgo biloba: an ancient and beautiful tree

#tree tuesday

Ginkgo biloba, commonly called the gingko  or the maidenhair tree, is an ancient and unique species with no living relatives. Often called a living fossil, the gingko is similar to fossils dating back 270 million years. It is native to China, was introduced early to human history and cultivation. It has various uses in traditional medicine, and its fruit is a source of food in Asian cooking.  The gingko, preferably the male of this dioecious species, makes a handsome and adaptable urban ornamental.

Spring Color, Form and Texture Add to Landscape

Spruce, Weeping Willow, Cherries and Bradford Pear

 with a Freshwater Pond in Background

 Contribute to a Serene View

English Ivy and Assorted Evergreen Shrubs 

Provide a Multihued Backdrop.

 A bed of white daffodils with a single yellow one and a pink crabapple in bud draw viewers into this landscape.  Local natural boulders provide comfortable seating placed throughout a singular connected path constructed of earth-toned pea gravel.