Oplopanax horridus (Sm.) Miq.
devil's club (devilsclub)
Araliaceae (Ginseng family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Brian Klinkenberg     (Photo ID #6844)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Oplopanax horridus
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Tall, deciduous shrub; stems 1-3 m tall, punky, thick, strongly armed with yellow spines 5-10 mm long.
Leaves:
Palmately lobed, the leaf blades shallowly 7- to 9-lobed, 10-35 cm wide, heart-shaped at the base.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of small, headlike umbels in elongate panicles or racemes, up to 25 cm long; flowers greenish-white, short-stalked.
Fruits:
Bright red berries, 2-3 seeded, 5-8 mm wide.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Oplopanax horridus

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
758 0 2750
Slope Gradient (%)
20 0 350

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

2 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
4 0 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
5365
Modal BEC Zone Class
ICH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

BWBS(26), CDF(2), CWH(1454), ESSF(497), ICH(2075), IDF(76), MH(42), MS(93), SBPS(1), SBS(883), SWB(1)

Habitat and Range

Wet to moist streambanks and forests in the lowland to subalpine zones; common throughout all but NE BC; N to SW AK and YT, E to AB and S to MT and OR; disjunct in ON and MI.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Echinopanax horridus (Sm.) Decne. & Planch. ex Harms
Fatsia horrida (Sm.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex W.H. Brewer & S. Watson