# How to Grow Oplopanax Horridus
Oplopanax horridus is a tall, slender shrub native to the moist forests of the Pacific Northwest and a few isolated areas around Lake Superior. The plant is also known as devil's club or devil's walking stick due to the numerous small spikes that cause irritation when touched. Oplopanax horridus grows between 3 to 9 feet tall and makes an excellent natural border to keep people and animals out of your landscape. While seeds are difficult to germinate and can take up to 2 years to sprout in home gardens, devil's club is easy to grow by planting suckers or roots in your landscape.
Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Compost
- Gloves
Instructions
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1
Locate a shaded area in your landscape with poor soil drainage in your landscape. Devil's club grows in saturated soil near streams or springs in the wild and requires damp soils in order to grow in home gardens.
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Dig a large hole 4 feet in diameter and 2 to 3 feet deep at the planting site.
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Mix in compost with the parent soil to improve the moisture retention of the soil and provide supplemental nutrients for the plant.
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Back fill the planting site with the compost and parent soil mixture.
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Plant the Oplopanax horridus cutting so that the top of the cutting is just barely exposed above the soil surface of the planting site.
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Water the cutting regularly to maintain soil moisture.
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