Zanthoxylum clava-herculis L.

Southern Prickly Ash; Hercules' Club; Pepper Bark

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Toothache Tree is a native deciduous tree in the Citrus family (Rutaceae). It is found primarily in the Black Belt region of Central Alabama, and along the coast. Toothache Tree occurs along fence rows, around cave, and on shell mounds. It is almost always found on calcareous soils. Toothache Tree is a small to medium tree reaching heights of 30-40 feet. The bark is thin, smooth, and gray in color. It has numerous corky spine-tipped pyramidal warts. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and pinnately compound with 7-9 leaflets. The leaflets are elliptic to lanceolate in outline with toothed margins. The rachis of the leaf may be armed with spines. Flowers are produced in terminal racemes. Individual flowers are small and yellow green in color. They have 5 small petals. Toothache Tree is dioecious (having male and female flowers on separate trees). The fruit is a follicle that splits open to reveal a shiny black seed. Chewing small strips of bark or leaves will numb the mouth and has been used as a home remedy for toothache. Extracts of the plant show some promise as an anti-biotic. Toothache Tree leaves are the larval food plant for the Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes). Toothache Tree is sometimes available from nurseries specializing in native or medicinal plants. It prefers a well-draining soil in full sun. Plants should be placed away from walkways or other areas where people might accidently grab the spiny trunk.--A. Diamond

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Native FAC (NWPL)

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