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prickly ash
prickly ash botanical plate
Field guide plate · click to zoom

prickly ash

Zanthoxylum americanum
In the United States: Native · also called common pricklyash, toothache tree, northern prickly ash

Honeybees visit prickly ash primarily for early-season pollen, with limited nectar available from the small, inconspicuous flowers. Peak bloom occurs in spring, providing a brief but valuable forage window before many other plants emerge. The thorny branches can form dense thickets, and the aromatic foliage may deter some pests, though pruning is needed to manage spread in landscapes.

Nectarlow
Pollenmedium
Bloom (US) April–May
TypePerennial
Sunpartial
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