Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Northern Blackland Prairie
Plant Characteristics
Growth Form
Tree
Height
6
to
12
ft.
Spread
6
to
12
ft.
Leaf Retention
Deciduous
Lifespan
Perennial
Habitat and Care Requirements
Soil Type(s)
Loam, Calcareous
Light Requirement
Sun, Part Shade
Water Requirement
Low, Medium
Native Habitat
Grassland
Bloom and Attraction
Bloom Color
Yellow, Green
Bloom Season
Spring
Seasonal Interest
Fruit, Larval Host
Wildlife Benefit
Butterflies, Birds, Bees
Maintenance
Very little maintenance needed. Branches and stems are prickly, use leather gloves when handling. Prune for shape or to raise canopy if needed for walkways. Prickly branches should be removed from traffic areas. Propagation: Root cuttings.
Comments
Blooms March-May. Aromatic foliage when crushed is similar to orange peel. Has spiny branches and trunk. The leaves are shiny and opposite growth with spines at the axis. Flowers small, greenish, in clusters at the ends of branchlets. Produces clusters of red berries. Both the berries and leaves are edible, creating tingly sensation similar to Szechuan peppers. When chewed, it creates a numbing sensation. Used to treat toothaches and mouth pain. Bucks will scrape trunk with antlers. Pollination: Native bees. Attracts birds. Larval host: Giant Swallowtail butterfly.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Zanthoxylum clava-herculis var. fruticosum