Devil's Walking Stick

Yes, Devil's Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa) is considered toxic to cats. Ingestion can cause oral irritation, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing, and the plant's spiny stems pose an additional physical hazard.

Watch for drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing — the most commonly reported signs. Chewing on bark, roots, or unripe fruit can also trigger gastrointestinal distress, while contact with the bark or sap may cause brief oral or skin irritation that typically fades within minutes.

Remove your cat from the plant and rinse their mouth with water if they'll allow it. Call your veterinarian right away, or contact ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 for case-specific guidance — Aralia spinosa is not currently listed in the ASPCA database, so a poison control specialist can help assess the risk.

Yes — beyond the toxicity from ingestion, the plant's prominent spines can cause puncture wounds. Call your vet if you notice deep wounds from the thorns in addition to any signs of ingestion like drooling or vomiting.

Yes, Devil's Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa) is considered toxic to dogs. It contains compounds that irritate the digestive tract, and ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and oral inflammation.

The most common signs are hypersalivation and drooling, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, and skin or oral irritation around the muzzle. Severity is typically mild to moderate, but the plant's spines can also cause mechanical injury to the mouth and gums.

Contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away. Watch for drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, or oral swelling. Seek immediate veterinary care if vomiting or drooling persists more than a few hours, your dog refuses food and water, you notice oral swelling, or there is any visible bleeding from spine wounds.

Onset is not precisely documented in the ASPCA entry for this plant, but in line with other digestive irritants, oral and gastrointestinal signs are expected to appear within a few hours of ingestion.