Devil’s Club

Devil’s club is one of the most dreaded banes of the coastal bushwhacker. Towering to over 16 feet (5 metres) high, this plant sports huge, maple-esque leaves and wicked spines coated in irritating oils. Many bushwhackers would prefer to climb into a grizzly’s den than wade through a dense thicket of devil’s club.

This plant is, however, prized by bears who feast on its bright red berries, undeterred by the vicious spines. Related to ginseng, devil’s club is also highly valued by coastal First Nations for its myriad medicinal properties.

Devil’s club is also associated with old-growth forests due to the fact that it’s slow to spread, and so has trouble recolonizing areas that have been logged. It loves moist, nutrient-rich sites, the same environments that create big trees, and therefore its presence can be an indicator of nearby forest giants; for ardent big-tree hunters, devil’s club can be the dragon which guards the treasure they came to seek.