The characteristic features of the plant, advice on growing aralia in the garden, recommendations for the reproduction of the "devil's tree", the difficulties arising from the care of the "thorn-tree", interesting notes, types. Aralia belongs to a family of plants called Araliaceae. All species of this genus are common in Asian regions with tropical and subtropical climates, which include the islands of the Sunda Archipelago and the southeastern regions of Asia. Also, the territory of natural growth covers Central and North America, and sometimes some representatives can be found in the temperate climate of the North American and Asian lands. In natural conditions, it prefers to settle in illuminated areas, of which there are many in clearings and forest edges, and can often grow in places where other plants cannot exist, including clearings and fires. This genus includes up to 70 species.
| Family name | Aralievs |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Tree-like |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative |
| Landing period in open ground | Shoots or seedlings, planted in October or early spring |
| Substrate | Any garden soil |
| Illumination | Open area with bright lighting |
| Moisture indicators | Stagnant moisture is harmful, watering is moderate |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.5–20 m |
| Color of flowers | White or cream |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Umbrellas collected in complex panicle inflorescences |
| Flowering time | August |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Single plantings, hedges, retaining walls |
| USDA zone | 4–6 |
The name of this plant came to us from the Indian peoples, since it was the "aralia" that called all the species of these representatives of the flora growing on the North American continent. But on the lands of the Slavs, Aralia was called "thorn-tree", since this reflected its whole thorny essence. Most of all, among gardeners, a variety of Manchurian aralia or high aralia is known, and due to the fact that the shoots are dotted with densely growing sharp thorns, they call it nothing other than "devil's tree".
All representatives of this genus are deciduous plants, and take a tree-like shape, their size is small. But there are species that differ in shrub outlines or have the appearance of a herbaceous perennial. If the aralia is tree-like, then the thin trunk at the very top is branched and covered with thorns. All branches, foliage and inflorescences have pubescence or may be devoid of it. The height of the "thorn-tree" is very different, so the herbs can reach half a meter, and some trees with their shoots reach up to 20 meters. The rhizome is not deep in the soil.
Leaves grow alternately, there are no stipules, their size is large, the shape is odd-pinnate, complex, but often takes on double- and triple-pinnate outlines. The leaf plate is composed of 2–4 lobes, which are further divided into 5–9 pairs of oval leaflets with a serrated edge. Since the foliage grows close together on shortened twigs and is concentrated in tree species near the top of the trunk, the aralia is like a palm tree. Both petioles and branches are completely covered with thorns.
During flowering, the buds are collected in a large number of umbrellas, which in turn form complex inflorescences in the form of panicles, which occasionally can take the form of an unbranched brush. The size of the flowers is small, they grow bisexual, while the ovary is underdeveloped. The calyx of the flower is five-membered, the petals are painted in whitish or cream color. The diameter of the inflorescence can reach 40–45 cm. The “thorn-tree” begins to bloom, having crossed the five-year milestone. Flowers bloom in late summer.
The fruit of aralia is a spherical berry with a dark purple or black-blue tint. In this case, the outlines of the fruit can be five or hexagonal outlines, with a fleshy exocarp. Elongated seeds on the sides are compact and light brown in color. They reach 3-5 mm in diameter. There are up to five of them in the fruit. The fruits of the "devil's tree" fully ripen in the second half of September or in October. When the plant is old enough, the number of fruits can reach 60,000 pieces. The fruits on the branches do not linger for a long time, and a blowing gust of wind can throw them off.
Tips for growing aralia in the garden, care rules
- Drop off location. The plant prefers the eastern or western sides, where there is a lot of bright, but diffused sunlight, but the soil should be slightly damp.
- Soil selection. For aralia, the soil is selected loose, and if the substrate was virgin or tinned, then you need to dig it up to a depth of 30 cm. After that, the ground is left to ventilate for a week and dry out a little. Then it is recommended to burrow the landing site and apply fertilizer to the soil. Such means can be rotted manure and peat-manure compost, which are mixed in equal proportions. After that, the substrate is dug up again. If vegetables or other plants were previously grown in this place, then after the soil was dug for the first time, then all the remnants of such crops are removed.
- Watering. The plant has enough natural precipitation, since waterlogging is harmful.
- Fertilizers aralia. For the “thorn-tree”, both organic and mineral preparations are recommended. At the time of planting, the soil must also be fertilized. For adult specimens, fertilization will need to be carried out with the onset of spring, as well as in the summer months, when the buds begin to set. If necessary, then such dressings are performed in the autumn.
- General advice on care. The plant is frost-hardy and does not require shelter for the winter, but still, sometimes a little freezing occurs. Although after this there will be a restoration of Aralia, it is still recommended to mulch the trunk circle with fallen leaves or peat. With the arrival of spring, a sanitary cut of shoots is performed in order to remove those that have begun to grow inside the crown or are too elongated. It is recommended to regularly loosen the soil so that there is air access to the roots. But this procedure is performed very carefully, since the root system is located very close to the surface. Weeds should be removed during the growing season.
Recommendations for breeding aralia
In order to get a new "thorn-tree" it is recommended to sow the collected seeds or root cuttings or root suckers.
When using seed, it is necessary to separate the seeds from the fruit, and then stratify them (aging for about a month in cold conditions - for example, on the balcony or the lower shelf of the refrigerator), however, this does not give a full guarantee of germination.
The best option is to plant root shoots. As the root system of aralia is close to the soil surface, the roots do not go deep into the substrate, but spread in the near-trunk zone, occupying approximately a radius of 2-3 meters. Approximately at a distance of 10-15 cm from the trunk of the “thorn-tree”, young shoots are formed, which by the autumn period can approach a height of 30 cm. These are the offspring of Aralia.
By October, such offspring have their own well-developed root system, so they can be separated from the root of the parent specimen. With the help of a garden tool, shoots with roots are dug out and planted in a prepared place. You can verify the suitability of a seedling by examining its root system, it is important that it is not damaged. The surface of the roots should be in a normal state, free from dark spots that arise from the fact that the plant has been exposed to temperature extremes. If they are, then the offspring is unsuitable for planting.
When planting a seedling or root offspring of aralia, a hole is prepared with a depth of 40 cm and up to 0.8 m in diameter. At its bottom, a layer of approximately 15 cm of a previously prepared substrate is laid. Fertilized and well-dug soil emerges from it. The "Devil's tree" is set in a hole and its roots are carefully spread out. When everything is done, then abundant watering is carried out and the plant is well mulched with peat crumbs. The layer of such mulch should not exceed more than 2 cm. After that, the hole is covered with garden soil. If everything is done in accordance with the rules, then Aralia will take root well and the growth of the next year can be almost 25-30 cm.
Difficulties in caring for a thorn tree in the garden
The plant is unpretentious and can perfectly resist harmful insects, but it is worth adhering to some rules. When planting, the soil where the aralia will be grown is checked for pests. This is necessary so that later they do not infect the root system (they can be, for example, nematodes, wireworms, beetle larvae, bear.). It is the first couple of years after landing in open ground that Aralia can suffer from such "predators", but later only slugs can be a problem. Therefore, it is recommended to use the drug "Meta Groza" against them. Also, fungal diseases are not a problem for the "thorn-tree", therefore drainage is not needed during planting.
Curious notes and photos of Aralia
This thorny shrub or tree can be easily grown in your backyard, as a solo plant, or by forming hedges from its thickets. Aralia is also suitable as a honey plant.
The plant is also well known to folk healers, since preparations made on the basis of parts of the "thorn tree" have anti-inflammatory, hypotensive and diuretic properties, they are also used to strengthen and tone the body, they can have an anti-toxic effect and lower blood sugar levels. Homeopaths recommend taking decoctions from aralia to improve well-being, while a person's working capacity and appetite begins to increase, sexual activity normalizes and, if necessary, increases. Devil's tree tinctures have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system and help to increase muscle strength and lung capacity, relieve stress and increase energy production during laborious loads on the body.
Often, drugs made from aralia are prescribed to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis. Coumarins, which the plant contains, contribute to the suppression of malignant tumors.
Aralia species
- Manchurian aralia (Aralia mandshurica) also called Aralia high, and the people call it the "northern palm". The natural distribution area falls on the territory of such countries as Japan, China and Korea, as well as the Far East, the lands of Primorsky Krai and Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Can grow alone or in groups in the undergrowth found in coniferous forests or where mixed trees grow. Prefers clearings and edges with plenty of sunlight. The plant is treelike, reaching 1.5–7 meters in height, often reaching up to 12 m. The trunk is straight, with a diameter of about 20 cm. Multiple thorns are formed on the leaf petioles and trunk. The shape of the root system is radial and at a depth of 10–25 cm from the surface, it is located in the horizontal plane. But after passing 2–3 m in the near-trunk zone, the roots have a sharp bend and then deepen by 0.5–0.6 m. At the same time, they begin to branch strongly. The branches are in the next order decorated with large foliage, which is almost a meter in length. Its handicap is complex, double-pinnate, a leaf plate is composed of 1–2 pairs of leaf lobes, which in turn are formed by 5–9 pairs of leaflets. The color of the foliage is rich green. In the process of flowering, small buds are formed with white or cream colored petals. Umbrella inflorescences are collected from them, which crown the tops of the branches, connecting there, in highly branched multi-flowered inflorescences, the number of flowers in which can reach 70 thousand units. In this case, the diameter of the inflorescences will be 45 cm. Flowering takes the period from July to August. When fruiting, berries ripen, filled with five pitted seeds. Fruit color is blue-black. The diameter reaches 3-5 mm. On an adult tree, the number of berries is approaching 60,000, while the weight of 1,000 berries will amount to almost 50 kg. When the plant is in natural growing conditions, then it will begin to bloom only 5 years after planting, the ripening of the fruits occurs from the beginning to the middle of autumn.
- Aralia cordata also found under the name Aralia Schmidt. Lands of natural distribution fall on the territory of the Far East, while it can be found on forest edges and meadows, as well as on mountain slopes, where there is enough light. The growth form of this perennial plant is herbaceous, the shoots do not grow higher than 2 m in height. The stem is glabrous, without branching. The rhizome has a fleshy and thick outline, and there is an aroma. Rhizomes in Japanese lands are used for medicinal purposes. The foliage is supported by long petioles, while the leaf reaches 40 cm in length. The shape of the leaf plate is twice, sometimes three times pinnately complex. It consists of 3-5 unpaired leaf lobes located in the lower part, which, in turn, have 3-5 leaflets. In the upper part, 4–6 simple leaves are formed. Flower petals with a yellowish or green tint. Paniculate inflorescences of 5-6 flower umbrellas are collected. The total length of the inflorescence is 45-50 cm. The size of the flowers is very small. The flowering process stretches from mid-summer to September, and the fruits ripen from late summer to the end of September days. During fruiting, small black berries are formed, the diameter of which is 3-4 mm. The fruits ripen from the beginning of autumn.
- Aralia spinosa distributed in the central and eastern states of the United States. Prefers to settle where there are lowlands and valleys of river arteries with moist soil. A tree-like plant, reaching 15 cm in height. The trunk can occasionally be close to 30 cm in diameter, but usually its outlines are more refined. When grown in culture, it takes the form of a bush. The color of the bark of the trunk is dark brown, its surface is fractured. When the plant is young, its trunk and branches are completely covered with multiple strong thorns. The color of the shoots is green, they are very prickly, the inner part is thick, white in color. The length of the leaf is 40–80 cm with a width of about 70 cm in the base part. The leaves are attached to the branches with petioles up to 25 cm long. The leaves in the lower part are triple-pinnate, those that grow in the middle are double-pinnate, and the top is decorated with simple pinnate leaf plates, with the final leaf with a solid outline. Above, the foliage has a green color, and on the back it is bluish. Its surface is practically bare, but at the same time there are thorns. Panicle inflorescences are large in size, with a length of about 20–35 cm, but can reach up to half a meter. They have pubescence and an elongated axis located in the center. Inflorescences grow singly or there are 2-3 of them on the tops of branches or trunk. The color of the flower is whitish, their diameter can reach 5 mm. Ripening fruits are black, with a diameter ranging from 6–7 mm The flowering process occurs in July-August, while fruiting begins with the arrival of autumn and lasts until its middle.
