Bloomipedia
Northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum)
Photo: aarongunnar via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Northern prickly ash

Zanthoxylum americanum

Northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) is a shrub or small tree in the Rutaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native to Minnesota

Northern prickly ash is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

35states where USDA records it
1,487MN sightings*
6,197U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Minnesota

Quick look

Zanthoxylum americanum, the common prickly-ash, common pricklyash, common prickly ash or northern prickly-ash, is an aromatic shrub or small tree native to central and eastern portions of the United States and Canada. It is the northernmost New World species in the citrus family, Rutaceae, and is the type species in its genus, which includes sichuan pepper.

  • It belongs to the Rutaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 35 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Minnesota. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 1,487 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #93 among the 152 flowers on our Minnesota list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Minnesota (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (35 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Minnesota
Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. Minn. R. 6134.0300
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S1), DE (SH), FL (S1), GA (S1), LA (S1), MD (S1), NH (SH), SC (S1), TN (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Northern prickly ash in 35 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Meeker, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Norman, Otter Tail, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Wilkin, Winona, Wright.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 738 counties across 35 states; the most are in Missouri (87), Ohio (79), Illinois (69).

Other Zanthoxylum on Bloomipedia (1): Hercules' club.

More from the Rutaceae family (4 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Turpentine broom, Orange, Lemon.

More Minnesota flowers

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🌼 Blooms in MN: June–July
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

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🌼 Blooms in MN: April–May

Sources