northern prickly ash

(Zanthoxylum americanum)

Conservation Status
northern prickly ash
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5? - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Northern prickly ash is a fast-growing, short-lived, deciduous shrub or very small tree rising on a single trunk. In Minnesota mature plants are usually 4 to 15 tall and up to 6 in diameter at breast height, though large individuals can reach over 25 in height. They sometimes form impenetrable thickets.

The branches are stout and weakly ascending to spreading. There is a pair of stout, sharp, about long spines at each node. Lower branches tend to persist, even in dense shade.

The bark is rough to the touch, gray to brown with darker lines (lenticels), and often with light splotches.

First-year twigs are zigzagged, brown to reddish-brown and sparsely hairy or almost hairless. The leaf scars are have 3 bundle scars. Lateral buds are reddish, to ¼ long, and clearly visible. They are covered with red, woolly hairs. When broken, twigs emit a spicy citrus odor.

The leaves are deciduous, alternate, 2¾ to 7 long, and pinnately divided into 5 to 11 leaflets. They are on ¾ to 19 16 long hairy leaf stalks.

The leaflets are oblong to elliptical or egg-shaped, 19 16 to 2¾ long, and ¾ to 1 wide. They are on very short leaf stalks, appearing almost stalkless. They are tapered or rounded at the base and taper to a sharp point at the tip. The upper surface is dark green, slightly wrinkled, and sparsely hairy to almost hairless. The lower surface is pale green and hairy. The margins have very small, shallow, rounded teeth and a small yellow gland between the teeth. The leaflets emit a strong, lemon-like odor when crushed. In autumn the leaves turn yellow.

Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. They appear before the leaves in late April to late May in small clusters of 2 to 12 in the leaf axils on previous year’s twigs. They are small and yellowish-green. They have no sepals and 5 minute, greenish and reddish petals. Male flowers have 5 yellow stamens. Female flowers have 3 to 5 green styles.

The fruit is a bright red, roughly spherical, 3 16 to ¼ in diameter capsule with a pitted surface. It has a strong lemon or orange fragrance. When it ripens in late July to mid-September it splits across the top exposing 1 or 2 shiny black seeds. The seeds are dispersed by animals and gravity.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

4 to 25

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Yellowish-green

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a tree but, when a sapling, can be mistaken for northern prickly ash. Black locust lateral buds are not obvious and are hidden beneath, not above, the leaf scars. The leaves have more leaflets, 7 to 19. The leaflets are blunt to rounded, not pointed, at the tip, and are on short but obvious stalks. The twigs, leaves, and fruit do not emit a citrus odor when crushed.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist. Floodplains, slopes, abandoned fields, forest edges, woodland openings, thickets. Moderately shade tolerant.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

Late April to late May

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

Leaf Spot (Cerospora xanthoxyli)

Powdery Mildew (Phyllactinia guttata)

Rust of Prickly Ash (Puccinia andropogonis var. xanthoxyli)

Stem Canker (Diplodia natalensis)

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  5/22/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Rosanae  
 

Order

Sapindales (soapberries, cashews, mahoganies, and allies)  
 

Family

Rutaceae (citrus)  
  Subfamily Rutoideae  
  Tribe Zanthoxyleae  
 

Genus

Zanthoxylum (prickly-ashes)  
       
 

The genus Zanthoxylum should be spelled with an “X” instead of a “Z”. However, it was originally described spelled with a “Z”. Conventions of botanical nomenclature do not allow for spelling corrections.

 
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Zanthoxylum americana

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

common prickly ash

common prickly-ash

common pricklyash

northern prickly ash

northern prickly-ash

prickly ash

prickly-ash

toothache tree

toothache-tree

toothachetree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Lenticel

A corky, round or stripe-like, usually raised, pore-like opening in bark that allows for gas exchange.

 

Node

The small swelling of the stem from which one or more leaves, branches, or buds originate.

 

Pinnate

On a compound leaf, having the leaflets arranged on opposite sides of a common stalk. On a bryophyte, having branches evenly arranged on opposite sides of a stem.

 
 
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Luciearl

 
 

I haven't seen such abundant fruit on this shrub until this year. I also noticed a bird I didn't recognize eating the berries. Possibly a vireo, soft gray.

  northern prickly ash  
         
    northern prickly ash   northern prickly ash  
           
    northern prickly ash      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
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    northern prickly ash      
           
 

Leaves

 
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Leaf

 
    northern prickly ash      
           
 

Stem

 
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Twig

 
    northern prickly ash      
           
 

Infructescence

 
    northern prickly ash      
           
 

Fruit

 
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    northern prickly ash   northern prickly ash  

 

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slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  Northern Prickly Ash
Paul Ashe
 
   
 
About

Published on Aug 16, 2014

A basic description of Northern Prickly Ash, showing leaf shape and key identifying traits.

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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  Luciearl
8/21/2023

Location: Lake Shore

I haven't seen such abundant fruit on this shrub until this year. I also noticed a bird I didn't recognize eating the berries. Possibly a vireo, soft gray.

northern prickly ash

 
  Brittni
9/7/2015

Location: Forada, MN

   
           
 
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