Tohono O’odham Devil’s Claw

Celebrate tradition and resilience with Tohono O’odham Devil’s Claw! This unique, sprawling plant is a treasure of the desert Southwest and Northern Mexico. Renowned for its extremely long claws, it has been cherished by basket weavers for generations, using its dark, woody pods as black fibers in intricate designs. Delicate pink, orchid-like flowers bloom on the plant, eventually transforming into hooked green pods that dry and split into elegant, scrolling, claw-like halves. This mesmerizing transformation makes the pods perfect for decoration, wreath-making, or simply admiring their natural beauty. Tohono O’odham Devil’s Claw is more than ornamental—it’s a functional marvel. The fatty seeds can be used as a source of fat or cooking oil, young pods can be eaten (and even pickled!), and mature pods are used for basket weaving and black dye. Traditionally, parts of the plant have also been used in herbal medicine to treat headaches. Grown with care by Grey Owl Garden in Paonia, CO, thi