General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Tree
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Plant Height: 40-60 feet
Plant Spread: Oval or rounded, broader than it is tall at maturity. "Gaunt" and "gangly" when young.
Leaves: Deciduous
Broadleaf
Other: Simple, palmately-lobed, with 5-7 lobes. Width from 8-14 inches. The depth of indentation of the lobes can vary greatly.
Fruit: Showy
Edible to birds
Other: Drooping clusters of small black berries
Fruiting Time: Fall
Flowers: Showy
Other: Small blooms in large clusters, 12-24 inches across
Flower Color: White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Summer
Uses: Shade Tree
Edible Parts: Bark
Stem
Eating Methods: Cooked
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Containers: Not suitable for containers
Miscellaneous: With thorns/spines/prickles/teeth

Image
Common names
  • Castor Aralia
  • Prickly Castor Oil Tree
  • Haragiri
  • Castor-Aralia
  • Tree Aralia

Photo Gallery
Location: Grounds for Sculpture, NJ
Date: 2015-08
Castor-Aralia
Location: Victoria, BC
Date: 2019-04-12
Location: Victoria, BC
Date: 2019-05-07

photo credit: Dalgial
Location: Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Date: July
credit: Magnus Manske
Location: Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Date: August
credit: Keith Edkins

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