Devil's Club

Oplopanax horridus

Also known as Alaska ginseng, Devil's walking stick (regional name), Oplopanax

At a glance

Family

Araliaceae (the ginseng family)

Type

Large deciduous, spiny understory shrub

Parts used

Inner bark and root bark

Size

3 to 10 feet tall, with sprawling, cane-like stems

Bloom

Small greenish-white flower clusters in late spring, followed by bright red berries in late summer

Habitat

Moist, shaded old-growth forests, streambanks, and avalanche chutes of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska

Acquisition

Forage

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Traditionally eases joint aches

Supports respiratory wellness

Traditionally used for blood sugar

Traditionally supports immune resilience

Traditional uses

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Among many Northwest Coast and Interior First Nations, from the Tlingit and Haida to the Coast Salish and Nuxalk, devil's club was regarded as one of the most powerful medicines in the forest, sometimes described as help for nearly everything. Its inner bark and root bark were traditionally prepared as teas and washes for arthritis, colds, coughs, and digestive troubles, while the plant itself was carried and burned as protective, purifying medicine in ceremony. Charcoal made from its burned wood was traditionally used as a ceremonial face paint. Because of this deep cultural weight, devil's club is still gathered today with prayer, gratitude, and great restraint.

How to grow & use it

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Pairs well with

✦Oregon grape root
✦Elderflower
✦Yarrow

Substitutes

✦Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng)
✦American ginseng

Choose it when

“For the deep-forest ache that settles into tired joints, and for the cough that lingers after a long Pacific Northwest winter.”

Did you know?

Devil's club belongs to the same botanical family as true ginseng, which is why it earned the nickname Alaska ginseng, even though the two plants look nothing alike, one a soft-rooted herb and the other a towering, spine-covered shrub that can stop a hiker in their tracks.

Safety

Fine spines on the stems and leaves break off under the skin easily and can cause festering wounds, so handle with thick gloves. Bark preparations may lower blood sugar, so use caution with diabetes or blood sugar/blood-thinning medications, and avoid in pregnancy.