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Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Zanthoxylum clava-herculis (Hercules club)
Brundage, Stephanie

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis L.

Hercules Club, Pepperbark, Toothache Tree, Tickle Tongue, Prickly Ash

Rutaceae (Rue Family)

Synonym(s): Zanthoxylum macrophyllum

USDA Symbol: ZACL

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Aromatic, spiny, round-crowned tree with spreading branches and tiny gland-dots on foliage, flowers, and fruit.

The common and Latin species names both refer to the spiny branches. As the alternate names indicate, the bitter aromatic bark is a home remedy for toothache; chewing bark or foliage numbs the pain.

 

From the Image Gallery

23 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 50 feet tall. Often much shorter and shrub-like.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green
Bloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , FL , GA , LA , MS , NC , OK , SC , TX , VA
Native Distribution: Central Virginia to S. Florida, west to E. Texas, and north to SE. Oklahoma; to 500' (152 m).
Native Habitat: Fence rows, Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannas

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Sandy Loam, Sandy, Medium Loam, Acid-based

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Aromatic, Showy
Use Wildlife: Seeds-granivorous birds.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Larval Host: Giant swallowtail butterfly.

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Giant Swallowtail
(Papilio cresphontes)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FAC FAC FACU
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Pineywoods Native Plant Center - Nacogdoches, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
Texas Master Naturalists - Lost Pines Chapter - Bastrop, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-1073 Collected 2007-08-02 in Harris County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 298 - Field Guide to Texas Trees (1999) Simpson, B.J.
Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 297 - Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic Botany
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Zanthoxylum clava-herculis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Zanthoxylum clava-herculis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Zanthoxylum clava-herculis

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-05-16
Research By: TWC Staff

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