What is Devil's Claw
Devil's Claw is an indigenous plant to Southern Africa. Harpagophytum procumbens is mainly found in the eastern and south easter parts of Namibia, Southern Botswana, and the Kalahari region of the Northen Cape, South Africa. H,zeyheri is found in the northern parts of Namibia and southern Angola. The plant received its name from its hook-shaped fruit which is used for medicinal purposes. It contains active ingredients with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, and thus Devil's Claw is used to treat gastro-intestinal diseases, rheumatism, and many varieties of muscular pains.
Harpagophytum spp. inhabits deep, sandy soils, and occurs in areas with low annual rainfall (150–300 mm/year). It is a perennial, tuberous plant with annually produced creeping stems. The above-ground stems emerge after the first rains and die back during droughts or after frosts. Mature fruit is made up of several long sharp hooks that give it a claw-like appearance. The mature fruit opens slowly so that, in a given year, only 20-25% of its seeds may establish soil contact. Seeds can remain dormant for decades. The stems grow from a persistent primary tuber and several secondary tubers (the harvested organs) grow from the primary tuber at the end of fleshy roots.
Flowering is mainly from November to April. Harvesting however is only permitted from 1 March - 31 October
The sustainability of the trade in devil’s claw has been questioned for several years. The governments of the each of the countries in which it occurs (range states; Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa) have developed policies and regulations to protect the species, to determine a sustainable harvest, and to provide for continued livelihoods for the harvesters. At various times, the species has been proposed for protection by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). However, the range states have implemented measures to manage the trade sustainably and the proposal to protect the species by CITES was withdrawn.
Numerous studies have examined the biological and ecological requirements of harvested and unharvested populations. The ecological requirements of a harvested species must be known to manage the harvest of the species to ensure it is sustainable.
The plant
The Devils ’Claw plant has a main taproot and side tubers grow off this main taproot. The substance that makes Devil’s Claw a good medicinal plant is only found in the side tubers and not in the main taproot.
Harvesting the taproot is useless as it contains no active ingredients and the plant will die.
The side tubers are important to the plant as they store water and food for the plant to survive during the dry seasons. For this reason, harvesters must only harvest the side tubers and not the taproot. Harvesters must ensure that they also do not harvest all the side tubers as this will result in the plant dying.
Devil’s Claw plants need three (3) years to recover after being harvested. This means that in any one (1) year, only one quarter (1/4) of all the plants in an area should be harvested.
In an effort to ensure that not too much Devil’s Claw is harvested, Governments have implemented policies and regulations, and Devil’s claw is currently not be harvested without a permit.