Zanthoxylum clava-herculis

Hercules Club

Larval host for giant swallowtail. Beautiful specimen tree that has beautiful flowers and sexy spines. Sometimes called the spice tree. Seeds can be used like pepper corns, and indigenous peoples are said to have used it medicinally. Seed grown plants in 4” pots, shipped in careful wrapping.

Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy soils, with humusy top layer.

Nutritional Requirements: Moderate to low; it prefers soils with organic content, but will still grow reasonably well in nutrient poor soils.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.

Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.

Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.

Flower Color: Greenish-yellow.

Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous. Flowers unisexual.

Flowering Season: Spring-summer.

Small to medium tree or large shrub with a rounded, spreading crown. Trunks short to 18 inches in diameter, but usually much less. Bark light gray, roughened by numerous cone-like warts bearing long, sharp brown spines. Leaves temperate deciduous, compound, aromatic, shiny green above, to about 8 inches in length.

Dimensions: Typically 10-20 feet in height in South Florida; to 65 feet in Florida. Often as broad as tall.