Hercules-club

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis

Size Availability: 3G

Max Size: 25′ tall x 25′ wide
Average Size: 20′ tall x 20′ wide

Clay, Loam, Sand
Full Sun, Part Shade
Usually Moist, Dry
Moderate tolerance of salt wind and occasional salt spray

This deciduous tree has a showy bumpy bark and gets a yellowish color in the fall. It blooms with inconspicuous white flowers in the spring to prepare for its edible fruits to ripen in the fall. The bark has historically been chewed to treat toothache pain. Birds and other wildlife also eat the fruit, and it is the larval host for the giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes). It does not need special pruning, and if pruning is for the general health of the tree, should be done in winter when it is dormant.