Devil's club (Opolopanax horridus)

Gitxsan name: haa'uums or 'waa'uumst
Wet'suwet'en name:  whis

Botanical Description

• erect to sprawling shrub, 1-3 metres tall with thick, crooked stems armed with numerous large, yellowish spines
• broad, maple-leaf shaped leaves with spiny undersides
• bright red, flattened, shiny berries
• found in moist woods, in low to medium elevations

Photo courtesy of Jim Pojar (50kB)

Ethnobotanical Use

Devil's club is referred to as the best of all remedies, reputed to heal broken bones if taken for 3 or 4 months . Decoction of bark was used as a purgative to treat gonorrhea and continually taken for internal ruptures. The Gitxsan would boil the inner bark and the milky solution was used to treat boils, skin infections and rashes. The inner bark could be used fresh or dried and taken as a tea in powdered form.   Both the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en believed that the devil's club could confer strong magical powers to the person who used it. The plant was widely used in purification rituals and for luck.  The Wet'suwet'en also used devil's club to purify rooms, like a potpourri, to clear out bad air and in baths to help soothe and relax.

Caution: Potentially hazardous, may cause injury and irritation to skin and eyes of sensitive individuals.

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This digital collection was produced under contract to the SchoolNet Digital Collection Program, Industry Canada.
Revised: 09/20/98