Getting close to nature is our goal, but not if it gets stuck into us.We were carefully wending our way through a rich rainforest of huge,tropical-looking skunk cabbages and very fresh looking brown bear trackswhile trying to avoid the impressive armor of devil's club, Echinopanaxhorridum. Their trunks, stems and even leaves are covered with spinesthat readily impale the skin if one is not very careful. John Burroughsin 1899 wrote, "it hedges about these mossy cushions as with the fangsof serpents."
It is not only a beautiful plant (at a distance!) with its largemaple-like leaves, it is one of the most highly regarded medicinalplants among native groups on the coast. Devil's club belongs to thesame family as oriental ginseng, and, like ginseng is used to generallyraise the immune system. In particular, an infusion of the green innerbark and roots is reputed to be good for arthritis, gall stones, stomachulcers, and constipation. Various native groups use devil's clubdecoctions as an external wash for skin irritations as when the spinesare lodged in one's skin, a useful thought as a few of us did acquiresome prickly momentos to take home.
Even weeks from now some of us are likely to feel the tickle of a spineto remind us of the great adventure we had in Alaska's temperaterainforest.
