Devil’s Club
Latin name: Oplopanax horridus
Hul’q’umi’num name: qwa’pulhp
SENĆOŦEN name: ḰO¸PEȽĆ
Photo credits: Kendall McLaughlin
Description: Devil’s Club is a deciduous shrub that grows between 1 and 3.5 metres tall, typically thriving in damp forest clearings near streams. Its slender, crooked stems are densely covered in stiff, protective thorns. The large leaves are deeply lobed, with pointed, toothed edges, and are also armed with spines along the veins on both the upper and lower surfaces. At the top of the main stem, clusters of small green flowers form a pyramid-like shape, which later develop into flattened, scarlet-red berries.
Photo credits: Kendall McLaughlin
Harvest and Sustainability: Harvesting for it’s edible purposes is best in the spring for the leaf buds, young shoots, and roots.
Photo credits: Melissa Szaro
Qwa’pulhp is one of the most powerful and widely respected medicinal plants found along the B.C. coast. Traditionally, the roots and especially the greenish inner bark were the most commonly used parts for medicine. Indigenous communities have long used Devil’s Club to treat a wide range of ailments, including arthritis, ulcers, diabetes, colds, fevers, tuberculosis, and digestive issues.
Due to its fierce appearance—covered in sharp spines—it is also considered a spiritually potent plant, believed to offer protection against evil influences. Sticks of Devil’s Club are used as protective charms, and charcoal from the burned plant is mixed with grease to create ceremonial face paint for dancers and others in vulnerable ritual states.
Medicinal and Ceremonial Uses
The Nuxalk used the root and stem as a cleansing emetic and purgative, and in steam baths for rheumatism and stomach troubles.
The Ditidaht, Coast Salish, and Cowlitz made infusions from scraped stems to treat arthritis and rheumatism.
The Cowichan, Sechelt, and Squamish used Devil’s Club in hot baths and poultices for pain relief.
The Lushootseed steeped stems for tea to treat colds and used pulverized bark as a deodorant.
The Skagit combined Devil’s Club with prince’s pine and cascara to make tea for tuberculosis and to restore menstruation after childbirth.
The Lummi applied dethorned bark to the breast to stimulate milk flow.
The Dena’ina used the inner bark for tuberculosis, stomach trouble, and fevers, and applied softened bark as a poultice for infections.
The Halq’eméylem used it for arthritis and spiritual protection, creating face paint from ashes and grease.
The Cowlitz also dried and powdered the bark for use as perfume or baby talc.
Tea made from the inner bark is used by many people to help manage diabetes.
Fishing and Craft Uses
Devil’s Club also had practical applications beyond medicine:
The Washington Klallam and Nuu-chah-nulth used its lightweight wood to make fishing lures.
The Manhousat Nootka carved small fish from Devil’s Club sticks to attract catches.
The Ditidaht crafted two types of lures: one for spearing codfish at the surface, and another with hooks for catching black bass.
The Haida used stems to hook octopus and black cod.
The Hesquiat boiled bark with berries (Vaccinium and Lonicera spp.) to make paint and basket dye.
The Straits Salish combined Devil’s Club charcoal with bear grease for ceremonial face painting and tattoos.
