Devil’s Club

With Halloween around the corner, I thought this plant deserved a post. Devil’s club or Devil’s walking stick is a plant I grew up knowing, and one you will want to know too if you spend time bushwhacking in the woods. My main association with them from childhood is the pungent smell that filled the creek ravines I played in, and more importantly,”Don’t touch!” The spines on the stalks break off easily, really work their way into your fingers and are hard to get out. My association with that smell was so ingrained that a few years ago, when some wildcrafters were using the walk-in dehydrator at the farm where I was living, I recognized what plant they were drying right away and had many fond childhood adventure memories evoked as the aroma wafted around my farm cottage for several weeks. It’s a scary plant to be sure, but it still holds a fond place in my heart.

Devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus), (Cukilanarpak: Native Alaskan for “large plant with needles”) is mostly found in the moist, cool forests of western North America. Interestingly, it also grows in isolated populations on islands in Lake Superior. They are sensitive to disturbance and slow-growing to reach maturity, so often old growth forests are the place to find them in abundance. If the scientific name doesn’t sound horrifying enough, the common name’s reference to the Devil gives a pretty good idea of the formidable nature of those thorns. In one Tlingit tale, a piece of Devil’s club is tossed behind the hero who is escaping from the moon, and the single piece grows into a thorny, impenetrable wall. A stick of Devil’s club hung above the doorway was believed to ward off evil.
 
Devil’s club has a history as a traditional herbal medicine of Northwest Native American Tribes with a variety of uses and preparations, including topical ointments and poultices and an oral tea. It is still used today in the treatment of adult-onset diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, tuberculosis, colds, depression, stomach issues, lice, burns, and inflammation. Because it is a botanical cousin of Panax ginseng, it is also known as “Alaskan Ginseng”. It also carries powerful spiritual and ceremonial associations.

 Last but not least, this is another plant that pertains to bears. Among Northwest Coastal Tribes, Devil’s club was
associated with bears. It was believed that they chewed on the roots to
heal their wounds from battles. Bears are known to eat the red fruits
and spread them around in their droppings, thus propagating the plant.

And here are a few good links I came across about Devil’s club:

USFS Plant of the Week: Devil’s Club

Kinnickinnick Native Plant Society: Devil’s Club

Devil’s Club: A Medicine Cabinet for Alaska Tribe