FNPS Plant Database

Zanthoxylum fagara

wild-lime, colina, lime pricklyash

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

wild-lime, colina, lime pricklyash

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Zanthoxylum fagara

Family:

Rutaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

5-20 ft tall by 3-12 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow,green,NA

Fruit Color:

brown,black

Phenology:

Evergreen. Inconspicuous flowers mostly winter-spring. Fruits ripen in summer-early fall. Moderately long lived (Nelson 2003).

Noted For:

Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance, Thorns, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Hedge, buffer or screen plant where its thorns will be an asset. Foliage is aromatic.  This author has one growing as a specimen plant and loves its shape and the shiny green rather lacey foliage.

Considerations:

Very sharp thorns.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

9A,9B,10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval host for giant swallowtail ( Papilio cresphontes ) and Schaus' swallowtail ( Heraclides aristodemus )in southern Florida.

Provides wildlife cover.





Fruit is used by birds and other wildlife.

Native Habitats:

Hammocks. Scrub.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Fruit is edible, but is also a numbing agent. Powdered bark, leaves or fruit can be used as a spice. Wood is used for making furniture.

General Comments:

Fragrant flowers and crushed foliage smells like limes. Dioecious: male and female flowers are on separate plants.

Citations:

Bradley, Keith.  2018.  Zanthoxylum fagara.  Florida Wildflower Foundation.  https://www.flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-zanthoxylum-fagara/



Hammer, Roger L.  2015.  Attracting hummingbirds and butterflies in tropical Florida.  University Press of Florida.



Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses)



Institute for Regional Conservation.  Accessed 2021.  Natives for Your Neighborhood.  https://regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Zantfaga.



Minno, Marc and Maria Minno.  1999. Florida Butterfly Gardening.  University Press of Florida. 



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Tras, Pamela.  2001.  Gardening for Florida's butterflies.  Great Outdoors Publishing, St. Petersburg, FL.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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