Family: Araliaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Intentionally spread by people (ornamental, hedges)
  
• Bird-dispersed seeds (drupes)
  
• Tolerates wide range of soils
  
• Shade tolerant
  
• Repeated introductions outside native range
  
• Congeneric weed exists (P. sambucifolia)

Low Risk Traits:

• Rarely naturalizes (only rare escape in Florida)
  
• Not a weed (garden, agricultural, environmental)
  
• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• Not allelopathic or parasitic
  
• Palatable and non-toxic to animals (fed to sheep)
  
• Not toxic to humans (leaves eaten)
  
• Low seed production (rarely flowers, ~2 seeds per fruit)
  
• No vegetative spread
  
• No wind, water, or external animal dispersal