Flower profile
Northern prickly ash
Zanthoxylum americanum
Northern prickly ash is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Minnesota it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.
*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
- In Minnesota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,487 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #93 among the 110 flowers on our Minnesota list. iNaturalist
Northern prickly ash gift ideas
Handmade northern prickly ash gifts from independent makers.
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Northern prickly ash art print
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Northern prickly ash greeting card
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Northern prickly ash mug
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Northern prickly ash earrings
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Northern prickly ash embroidery pattern
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Northern prickly ash sticker
When does it bloom?
In Minnesota, most flowering sightings come in April–May.
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?
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.
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.
More Minnesota flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ZAAM.
- iNaturalist, Zanthoxylum americanum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Zanthoxylum americanum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
- Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Zanthoxylum americanum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: aarongunnar via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.