Devil's club
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Devil's Club (Oplopanax horridus, Araliaceae) is a large-leaved spiny shrub of the Pacific Northwest coastal forests of North America. Also known as Devil's Walking Stick, this plant is well known to residents and visitors because of its spines. The local Aboriginals regarded it as a sacred plant, using it for both ritual and medicine.
To prepare devil's club tea, harvest legnths of the grey prickly stalk. Using a knife, rake the stalk to remove the spines and bark to expose the green layer in between the wood and the bark. This greenery is where the medicine is, although it will not harm your drink if you get peices of the bark or the wood in it - it will merely alter the taste. Using the knife, cut the green layer off and let dry. Steep for two to three hours for a light tea, or for a darker tea, for as long as 24 hours.
Burning devil's club on a fire as an incense is also believed to chase away evil spirits.
Oplopanax_horridus0.jpg
Devil's Club