Devil's Club Root, Wild Crafted
Bulk Herbs: Devil's Club Root
Oplopanax horridus
Size: 1 oz package
Format: Cut
Plant Part: Root Bark
Farming: Wildcrafted
Also known as: Alaskan Ginseng, Pacific Ginseng, Devil's Walking Stick, Beaver Poison, and Snake Palm. It is also known as ch’átyaý in the Squamish language.
Origin: USA
Devils club (Oplopanax horridum), also called Devil's walking stick, is a large, hardy, thorn-bearing shrub native to Canada and the northwestern United States known to native Alaskans as cukilanarpak, which means "big plant with needles." The name aptly fits since the spiny stems of the plant certainly lend it a primitive appearance, and the fact that it grows in dense patches makes navigating through it risky. In fact, groves of Devil’s club have been described as living fences that can exceed 10 feet in height.
Devil's club has a long history of use among various Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Knowledge of the plant has been passed down through generations, and it continues to hold cultural significance for many Native American tribes today.
Among the Haida and Tlingit, Devil’s club has traditionally been incorporated into ceremonial practices, including periods of bathing and fasting in preparation for the hunt. The Skagit people have historically prepared Devil’s club as a tea in postpartum traditions, while preparations from the root bark were later used in weaning practices.
These uses reflect the plant's important role in Indigenous cultural traditions, rituals, and ethnobotanical heritage rather than modern medical applications.
Active Compounds: Nerolidol, torreyol, dodinene, bulnesol, dodecenol, cadenene, cedrol, araliasides, and varied panaxosides. Four polyynes, falcarinol, oplopandiol, acetateoplopandiol, and falcarindiol, are attributed to the herb's antimycobacterial properties. There has been no research on the specific antidiabetic constituents of Devil’s club.
Actions: Adaptogen, Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic, Nervine, Anti-microbial, Anti-fungal, Hypoglycemic, adaptogenic, expectorant, respiratory stimulant, aromatic bitter, and amphoteric
Indications: Respiratory expectorant, autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, late onset hypoglycemia (in small doses), PCOS, and other blood sugar-related hormone dysregulation, as an expectorant for thick mucus, short-term for sugar cravings.
Precautions: Do not take while pregnant, long-term use is not recommended. Do not take if currently taking insulin, other diabetes medications, blood thinners, or blood pressure medicines. Consult a qualified herbalist or doctor before taking this herb internally.
Herbal Magick: Devil's club is a deeply spiritual medicine for many First Nations people. Purification, warding off curses, protection, strength, healing, and "dancing between the worlds" are some of its energetic associations.
The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated this information. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease; it is for educational purposes only.