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​Prickly Ash is a neat tree during all four seasons, but it is admired most during the summer because you can see a ton of pollinators visiting the flowers, and for the stunning red berries. 
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​Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum)
How can you tell if a tree doesn't know something?
  • It shrubs!
Did you know?
  • Prickly Ash is commonly called “Toothache Tree” because Native Americans chewed the bark or fruits for relief from toothache pain because it would produce a numbing effect 
  • Native Americans would prepare a variety of medicinal remedies from the bark and roots for treatment of fever, coughs, and external wounds
  • Recent scientific research has shown prickly ash extracts may have promise in formulating antifungal and anticancer drugs
  • Despite the “Ash” in the name, Prickly Ash is not actually an ash tree—it is actually in the citrus family—not in the genus “Fraxinus” like White and Green Ash 
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Common Names: 
  • ​Prickly Ash
  • Common Prickly Ash
  • Northern Prickly Ash 
Wildlife Benefits: ​​
  • The flowers are a nectar and pollen source for a variety of bees, butterflies, and flies
  • The leaves are eaten by Giant Swallowtail larvae
  • The sap is food for several leafhoppers and treehopper species
  • The fruit is eaten by birds and small mammals 
  • The thicket provides important cover for wildlife, including quail, rabbits, and much more
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Habitat: 
  • ​Woodlands 
Size: 
  • 5-25' tall, with a crown width of 15-25' 
Growing Conditions: 
  • Full sun to partial shade
  • Moist, well-drained soil 
Select Identification Characteristics: 
  • Leaf Type: Compound
  • Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
  • Bud Arrangement: Alternate
  • Terminal Bud: Single
  • *Twigs: Very thorny 
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