Perhaps the most important plant to the native Alaskans of SE Alaska, the Tlingit, is the devil’s club. This spiny, thorny member of the Ginseng (Araliaceae) family has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Here, we see the early spring growth, before the plant has leafed-out. Eventually the plant will have large, broad leaves bigger than your head. Even the undersides of these large leaves are covered with spines. It usually grows on slopes and can be a serious impediment to hiking up a hill. But as my friend Bill likes to say, “I always hike with leather gloves. With a pair of good leather gloves, devil's club is your friend.” Photographer: Sean Neilson