Zanthoxylum fagara

Common Names

Wild Lime, Colima, Fagara, Lime Prickly Ash, Prickly Ash

Summary

Native to south Florida and the Caribbean Basin, this shrub or small tree often grows as an understory plant with an open crown, reaching 15–25 ft in height and 15–20 ft in spread; it has spiny stems and aromatic, odd-pinnate leaves with a winged rachis that emit a lime scent when crushed, and it bears yellow flowers followed by small, black fruit.

Growing best in USDA hardiness zones 9B–11, it tolerates full sun to partial shade and well-drained soils, is drought-tolerant once established, and propagates by seed or cuttings with pruning in late winter or early spring; in landscape settings it functions well as a reclamation plant, specimen, buffer strips, or border hedge, and it attracts butterflies and can serve as a larval host for swallowtail species; it yields essential oils and spice from leaves, bark, and fruit and is generally pest-resistant, with invasive potential considered uncertain.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

15-25 ft

Spread

15-20 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 9B-11

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained soil, tolerant of various soil types including sand, loam, and clay, pH 5.5–7.5

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

No single ideal pH; tolerates acidic to alkaline soils; 5.5-8.0.

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Year-round

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

No fall color; evergreen (green year-round)

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Moderate growth rate.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seed propagation, Cutting propagation, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds