Oplopanax horridus
A tall, spiny Pacific Northwest native shrub with very large palmately lobed leaves, red berries, a long history of Indigenous medicinal and ritual uses, and wild-harvested for food, medicine, and materials, with edible young shoots when peeled and cooked.
Common Names
Devil's Club, Devil's-Club, Devil's Walking Stick, Tlingit Aspirin
Summary
Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) is a deciduous shrub native to western North America that grows as an upright to sprawling plant up to 3–10 feet tall, with very large palmately lobed leaves and dense yellow spines on stems, petioles, and leaf veins. It bears greenish-white flowers in dense conical upright sprays, followed by bright red berries that are not edible for humans, and it forms dense thickets that can act as a barrier in moist, shaded habitats such as wetlands and riparian zones.
It favors cool, moist, acidic soils and grows best in shade to semi-shade, tolerating maritime exposure but not drought. Propagation occurs by seed or cuttings, with layering also possible, and seeds may take up to about two years to germinate; it is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. In cultivation it serves as an ornamental understory shrub or hedge in woodland or wetland plantings, and a rich ethnobotanical history exists among Pacific Northwest tribes with bark and stems used for rheumatism, influenza, diuretic and analgesic purposes, and young shoots eaten boiled. Caution around handling is advised due to the spines.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
36-120 inches
Spread
39-59 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 5
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full shade, tolerates partial shade.
Soil Type
Moist, acidic, nutrient-rich loamy soil
Soil Drainage
Moist but well-drained soil.
Soil pH
Acidic soil (low pH)
Bloom Color
Greenish white
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Green, yellow in fall, light green on the upper surface and paler beneath.
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Slow-growing, seedling growth slow to moderate, takes 5–10 years to reach its ultimate height
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Layering, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees and other pollinators, Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Sm.) Miq.
- Publication
- Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 1: 16 (1863)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Apiales
- Family
- Araliaceae
- Genus
- Oplopanax
Synonyms
Horsfieldia horrida Aralia erinacea Aralia occidentalis Panax horridus Ricinophyllum americanum Echinopanax horridus Fatsia horrida Ricinophyllum horridum