Use of Devil's Club

From NarratingLandscapes

By:user:Heather

The ethnobotanical records for aboriginal use of Devil's Club show that several parts of the shrub, including inner bark, inner bark ash, whole stems, roots, berries, and leaves, are used in a variety of ways when antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and antimycobacterial treatments are needed (most beneficial for internal and external infections). However, the most common type of preparation is as an infusion or decoction of the stem inner bark [[1]]. In addition to medicinal uses, spiritual applications of Devil's Club include: "purification and cleansing; protection against supernatural entities, epidemics and evil influences; acquisition of luck; to combat witchcraft; as ceremonial and protective face paint; and in rituals by shamans and others to attain supernatural powers"[[2]]. Devil's Club was also cut into small pieces and used as fish lures, or carved to resemble small fish that would spin underwater attracting fish (Turner 2007:140).

In the contemporary commercial industry, a smaller number of health problems are treated with Devil's Club and all the spiritual practices associated with traditional use are lacking. Unlike traditional uses of the stem inner bark, the commercial industry mainly uses the 'root bark' of Devil's Club and advertises it as a ginseng substitute which is "largely unsubstantiated by research, much of which has been conducted using stem inner bark" [[3]].

Because of thorns covering the entire stem and smaller thorns on the leaves, some plant ecologists see potential for use of Devils Club as a natural fence. Some people in the field of Landscape Architecture are also interested in using Devils Club as a natural barb-wired fence [[4]].

For information about harvesting Devil's Club see: Harvesting Devils Club

References:

Turner, Nancy J. (2007) Plant Technology of First Peoples In British Columbia. Royal BC Museum: Victoria. http://www.herbalgram.org/youngliving/herbalgram/articleview.asp?a=2697

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