Oplopanax horridum syn. Echinopanax horridum
Family: Araliaceae
Perennial creeping shrub. Native to deep canyons or cold sea
or lakeshores of the Pacific Northwest as far north as Alaska, and along
the margins of Lake Superior. Upon first encountering Devil's Club,
you will probably stop in your tracks. Not that you dare try to push
through it (heaven forbid) but because it is so striking that any plant
lover would gasp "What is that?" The prickly stems support huge,
blue-green, spreading, maple-leaf-shaped leaves, filling the air with a
spicy, Ginseng-like essence. The part used is the running rhizome
and root, best harvested in the autumn, pulled up from the periphery so
as not to kill the plant. Like other members of the Ginseng family,
Devil's Club was extensively used by the Native Americans. The tea
or tincture is a good respiratory stimulant and expectorant and is a specific
for treating both arthritis and adult-onset diabetes. The plant is
a general adaptogen (containing many of the same constituents as American
Ginseng and Eleutherococcus) and is a much-employed ritualistic herb, used
in sweats and on vision quest. Care should be taken to avoid contact
with the prickles, which tend to break off when they enter the skin, where
they fester supperate. Cultivation: Extra Care.
Break paired seeds apart into singles. Sow these large seeds in the
fall, midwinter or early spring. Germinates in cold soils.
Transplant seedlings to a pot, and grow out for a year or more before planting.
Provide a moist, cool and shady environment, adjacent to running water
if possible. Space plants 3 feet apart. Grows up to 10 feet
tall; flowers green, giving way to decorative red berries.
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