Zanthoxylum hirsutum (Texas Prickly Ash)

Also known as Texas Hercules' Club, Limestone Prickly Ash, Toothache Tree, Tickle-tongue, Tingle-tongue. Texas Prickly Ash is a shrub or a small tree with shiny, aromatic leaves, small, greenish flowers that are followed by small, round fruit that is red when ripe. Crushed leaves have an odor suggestive of orange peel. Fruit is reputedly edible, with a lemon zest taste that first tingles, then numbs in the mouth, similar to the Szechuan peppers used in Chinese cuisine. Szechuan peppers are also from a Zanthoxylum species. The leaves have a similar but less intense taste and effect. Bark, leaves, and fruit all reportedly numb the mouth and have been used to treat mouth pain, including toothache, hence its other common name, Toothache Tree. Texas Prickly Ash is found in open areas and at the edges of woodlands. It is slow growing and requires very little maintenance. Branches and stems are prickly. Texas Prickly Ash is a larval food source for the Giant Swallowtail butterflies. It also provides an excellent source of seeds and fruit for birds. It can be used for hedgerows, screens, naturalized woodland areas or integrated into native plantings. AT A GLANCE Texas native Yes Water use Low Sun exposure Sun to part shade Bloom color Yellow, green Bloom time Spring Mature height 6-12 ft Mature spread 6-12 ft Attracts Birds, bees, butterflies Host plant Giant Swallowtail butterfly Notes Chewing bark and leaves can numb toothache. DISTRIBUTION MAPS USDA MAP BONAP MAP Present in state Present in county and native Native to North America, but adventive & escaped in state Not present in state Present and rare, native in county Previously present, now extinct Questionable presence (cross-hatched, regardless of color)