tree and plant them near their villages and on islands, so that animals wouldn't eat the valuable fruit. The fruit was used in many of the natives' foods. The women would take the flowers and put them in their hair because of the lemony smell. The flowers could also be traded for money. In the past, botanists attributed occurrences of Aralia north of Maryland and Delaware in the Middle Atlantic states to introductions of Aralia spinosa from areas to the south. However some of these occurrences are now known to be of Aralia elata (Japanese Angelica-tree), a related Asian species that is invasive in the area. A. spinosa and A. elata are difficult to distinguish in the field, leading to confusion. In at least one locality, in Philadelphia, A. elata is displacing A. spinosa, with as yet unknown impacts on the local ecology. Uses The young leaves can be eaten if gathered before the prickles harden. They are then chopped finely and cooked as a potherb. Aralia spinosa was introduced into cultivation in 1688 and is still grown for its decorative foliage, prickly stems, large showy flower panicles [clusters], and distinctive fall color. These plants are slow growing, tough and durable, do well in urban settings, but bear numerous prickles on their stems, petioles, and leaflets. These plants can be propagated from seeds or root cuttings. Early American settlers used the plant for its alleged properties of curing toothaches. In a laboratory study, extracts from the plant, used as a medicine during the American Civil War, showed antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria associated with wound infections. References External links Aralia spinosa images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu Grieve, M. Mrs. (1931) A Modern Herbal: Aralia spinosa spinosa Trees of the Northeastern United States Trees of the Southern United States Trees of the Southeastern United States Trees of the South-Central United States Leaf vegetables Trees of the United States Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Trees of the Great Lakes region (North America) Trees of North America Trees of the Eastern United States