Devils club (Oplopanax horridum), also called devil's walking stick, is a
large, hardy, thorn-bearing shrub native to Canada and the northwestern
United States known to native Alaskans as cukilanarpak, which means “big
plant with needles.” The name aptly fits since the spiny stems of the plant
certainly lend it a primitive appearance, and the fact that it grows in
dense patches make navigating through it risky. In fact, groves of devil’s
club have been described as living fences that can exceed 10 feet in height.
Devil’s club has a long history of use among various Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Knowledge of the plant has been passed down through generations, and it continues to hold cultural significance for many Native American tribes today.
Among the Haida and Tlingit, devil’s club has traditionally been incorporated into ceremonial practices, including periods of bathing and fasting in preparation for the hunt. The Skagit people have historically prepared devil’s club as a tea in postpartum traditions, while preparations made from the root bark were later used in traditional practices associated with weaning.
These uses reflect the plant’s important role in Indigenous cultural traditions, rituals, and ethnobotanical heritage rather than modern medical application.
Benefits
Modern analysis of devil’s club has identified several naturally occurring plant compounds, including sesquiterpenes such as stigmasterol and β-sitosterol, as well as a unique constituent known as oplopanone. These compounds have been isolated and studied in laboratory settings as part of broader phytochemical research.
In addition to internal research, topical preparations derived from the root bark have also been examined experimentally. These studies contribute to the growing body of ethnobotanical and phytochemical literature surrounding the plant.
Devil’s club is sometimes discussed in herbal literature in relation to botanical traditions that emphasize balance and resilience. These descriptions reflect historical and cultural perspectives rather than established medical classifications.
Devil Club Root Bark Tea
Making Devils club tea is simple. Take the dried root bark of devil’s club, boil it in boiling water for several minutes, and brew it into a tea. It has a unique conifer-like spicy aroma.
