Devil’s Club Root Bark (Oplopanax horridus)

Origin:

Our devil’s club root bark is harvested by Laughing Lichen on our annual trip to the northern coastal regions of British Columbia.

Uses:

Devil’s Club has been utilized throughout history for is medicinal, spiritual, and technological uses by many indigenous groups across North America.  There are many uses for this large woody shrub. The spring harvest of leaf buds makes an excellent side dish for any meal. The red berries in mid summer provide food for squirrels and bears, and is reputed to help treat head lice. The root bark is used to make medicinal salves, tinctures, herbal oils, and also as tea.

Devil’s Club Benefits:

A powerful medicinal plant of the Pacific Northwest. Devil’s Club is a tall woody shrub that grow’s in Canada’s Pacific Northwest. It has long thorns, and large maple shaped leaves. This plant is very important both spiritually and medicinally to the Coastal First Nations people, it shares the same family (Araliaceae) as a more popular plant ginseng. Some refer to this plant as “North American Ginseng” because it is  related to ginseng but not true Ginseng.

Traditionally wild Devil’s Club tea is used to help the body adapt and heal from stress, illness, anxiety, and to aid in the treatment of deep tissue pain and arthritis. The root bark is used as a herbal tea and can also be added to bath water for an herbal “body tea”, or for creating your own herbal products. Devil’s Club has a unique conifer-like spicy aroma. Although most common in Canada in the Pacific Northwest and Coastal BC, it can also be encountered growing throughout Northern BC and also in the Yukon, a small population in Alberta and a very small population in Ontario. Care is taken when gathering this plant as it is covered in large thorns that are painful when embedded in the skin.

Harvesting:

Laughing Lichen collects this magical plant each spring and fall for only a few weeks when the plants medicinal properties are the most optimal. For each section or shoot harvested we replant a portion of it so that it can start a new colony and continue to thrive where it grows in the pacific Northwest. The Root bark that we sell is hand peeled and carefully dried.

Caution:

The above information is for educational purposes only. Devil’s Club is not advised for those with diabetes as it is said to affect blood sugar levels. Some people are especially sensitive and may be allergic to this plant so it is advised to test a small patch  of skin before using this herb in any application. Please research all natural products before using them and be sure to consult with your healthcare practitioner if you are pregnant, on medication or have a pre-existing health condition before use.