toothache tree
Zanthoxylum americanum
USDA zones3 to 7
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterNeeds moderate soil
Size15 to 20 feet tall10 to 15 feet wide
- Habit
- Shrub
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Yellowish - green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Toothache tree (Zanthoxylum americanum) is a tree for hedges, low maintenance planting, and meadows. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full or part sun, average moisture, and most soil types. It often forms dense thickets of many branches. Thorns line the stems, so it works well as a barrier. Small red fruits turn black, and the leaves turn yellow in autumn.
Pairs well with Hairy aster, Sea buckthorn, and Foxtail barley.
Native range
Eastern North America.