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NatureNotes

Hercules Club

By Rudy Mancke
Published June 21, 2016 at 5:03 AM EDT
Picture of a clump of Hercules Club, Aralia spinosa, taken in Georgia, USA, during the summertime.
Richardelainechambers, via Wikimedia Commons
Picture of a clump of Hercules Club,Aralia spinosa, taken in Georgia, USA during the summertime.
The stem of a Walking Stick, a.k.a. Hercules club, a.k.a. prickly ash.
Credit Celerylady, via Wikimedia Commons
Hercules club, aka prickly ash, aka, devil's walking stick.

Hercules club, sometimes called prickly ash, is found on the coast of South Carolina. It's leaves are the larval food for the giant swallow tail butterfly.

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Rudy Mancke
Rudy Mancke served as naturalist and co-host of South Carolina ETV's <i>NatureScene</i>, which began its long run in 1978. His field trips, broadcast nationwide, earned him a legion of dedicated viewers. Rudy's knowledge of the complex inner-workings of different ecosystems and his great admiration for the natural world make him the perfect guide. In fact, the National Wildlife Federation and the Garden Club of America honored his commitment to resource conservation with special awards. After retiring from SCETV, Rudy went on to become naturalist-in-residence at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He hosted SC Public Radio's <i>NatureNotes</i> from 1999 until his death in 2023 at age 78.
See stories by Rudy Mancke