Scientific Name:	Oplopanax horridus (Sm.) Torr. & Gray ex Miq.
English Name:	devil's club
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference:	Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Classification Level:	Species
Species Group:	Vascular Plant
Species Code:	OPLOHOR
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Plantae Anthophyta Dicotyledoneae Apiales Araliaceae
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status:	G5 (Jul 2016)
Provincial Status:	S5 (Apr 2019)
BC List:	Yellow
Provincial FRPA list:
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada:	4 - Secure (2010)
Ecology & Life History
General Description:
Technical Description:
Diagnostic Characteristics:	This is the only North American Oplopanax species.
Similar Species:
Global Ecology Comments:	This species is browsed by deer and elk and provides shade cover for salminoids and other fishes (Vance et al. in press). It tends to grow in relatively "damaged" ecosystems (Vance et al. in press).
Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence)
Global Habitat Comments:	Oplopanax horridus is a late seral, climax and old-growth forest understory species (Vance et al. in press). A study in southeastern Alaska showed significantly more O. horridus growing in old growth riparian than upland hardwood forests (Hanley and Hoel 1996). O. horridus can be considered an indicator species for wetlands as it grows near springs and streams and in drainage, seepage, and wet bottom areas (Minore 1983) in sandy, loamy, or silty soils (Howard 1993).
Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month)
Elevation (m) (min / max):	Provincial:
Known Pests:
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Dispersal:
Provincial Inventory
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Ownership of occurrences (Known locations):
Inventory Need:
Economic Attributes
Global Economic Use:	MEDICINE/DRUG
Global Economic Comments:	Many parts of this plant can be utilized for medicinal purposes, including the root, berries, stems, and leaves. Therefore, the method of harvesting can have different effects on local populations; threats associated with harvesting can be mediated according to the method used by the collector.
Distribution
Endemic:	N
Global Range Comment:	Oplopanax horridus is concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, western Canada, and Alaska. It also occurs disjunctly in Michigan and Ontario, where it is considered rare.
Disjunct, more common elsewhere:
Peripheral, major distribution elsewhere:
Authors / Contributors
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References and Related Literature
No references available

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. Species Summary: Oplopanax horridus. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Apr 6, 2026).