I thought I knew all the plants that would attack me in southern Illinois…then I headed off trail to find a good spot for a cathole and started to push through a shoulder-high thicket of these guys:
This proved to be a mistake, due to the hitherto-unnoticed-by-me spiky thorns all over their stems. I found another spot, so now I’m just left with small punctures & curiosity.
Could it be Aralia spinosa?
Right on the edge of the range (at least according to https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/araspi/all.html) but you may well be right. Preference for moist soils fits the distribution I was seeing. I’ll believe this until proven otherwise. Thanks!
I’d say you’re correct - and that map at the USDA has to be old, because I’m in MN and we absolutely have it here
After looking at some pictures, I see why it’s sometimes referred to as “devil’s walking stick!”
I’ve seen a lot of thorny weeds but I don’t recognize this particular one. Looks kinda like honeysuckle but honeysuckle has no thorns
I was thinking maybe some kind of locust tree sapling but I think the leaf shape is wrong. I’m surprised no one has recognized it; it was all over the place. Then again if Beehaw is like most online communities most users are from the coasts rather than the midwest.
this seems like a prime use case for AI image recognition tools. There was some iphone app called leafsnap that does somthing like this… can you upload a picture and it finds likely candidates. Haven’t used it in years, this was pre-chatGPT era
Oh and yeah… could be black locust. Not sure why I didn’t tihnk of that, I have a billion of them in my yard
Pretty sure black locust leaves are rounded instead of pointy.
I wonder if they might be honeylocust saplings.
It’s not honey locust either. Those leaves are tiny and very distinctly feathery looking.
nope, not a nettle like any from S. Illinois
If you will load iNaturalist app on your phone, you can snap a pic from in the app and with that and your location, it can usually predict the species or at least the genus. I don’t know southern Illinois, but I’d guess it is a variety of nettle.
This will be a useful way to solve the problem next time I’m in that area. At the moment I’m a 2-hour drive away. But noting for the future!
I’m sorry I have no idea what it is Have you used the app LeafSnap? I’m new to hiking and gardening and stuff so it’s been a lifesaver for me.
I have not used LeafSnap (and probably should!). Maybe I’ll remember the next time I’m in that neck of the woods.
Don’t use an app. There are many flora and fauna books for Identifying you can get under $20. I should check mine for the Midwest.