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Zanthoxylum clava-herculis (Hercules' club)
Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis L.

Hercules' club

Rutaceae (Rue Family)

USDA Symbol: ZACL

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

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

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 36-72 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr

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, Savannahs
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

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)

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Giant Swallowtail
(Papilio cresphontes)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

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

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-1073 Collected 2011-08-03 in Harris County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Bibliography

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

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

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: 2012-04-09
Research By: TWC Staff

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