Northern Prickly Ash

At a glance

Origin / distribution: US(Amerindian), US(Appalachia), US, Mexico

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Colic, Cough, Medicine, Poultice

Science studied: ALLOXANTHOXYLETIN, BERBERINE, HERCLAVINE, O-METHYLTYRAMINE-N-METHYL-CINNAMIDE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Rutaceae

Scientific name: Zanthoxylum americanum

Common names: Northern Prickly Ash, American prickly-ash, Common pricklyash (EN), Gawa' kumīc, Toothachetree, Zanthoxylum d’Amérique, Poivrier d’Amérique, ameerika koldpuu, amerikanlimopuu, amerikanskt pepparträd, ameriški bodičasti jesen, clavalier d'Amérique, clavalier d’Amérique, common prickly ash, common prickly-ash, common pricklyash, common pricky-ash, frêne épineux

POWO: 775568-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in US(Amerindian), US(Appalachia), US, Mexico.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Colic
• Cough
• Medicine
• Poultice
• Rheumatism
• Sialogogue
• Sore
• Spasm

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• US(Amerindian)
• US(Appalachia)
• US
• Mexico

Documented cultural uses

• Colic
• Cough
• Medicine
• Poultice
• Rheumatism
• Sialogogue
• Sore
• Spasm
• Stomatitis
• Sudorific
• Tonic
• Ache(Tooth)

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Colic · US(Amerindian) · "
• Colic · US(Appalachia) · "
• Cough · US · "
• Medicine · US(Appalachia) · "
• Poultice · US(Amerindian) · "
• Rheumatism · US(Amerindian) · "
• Rheumatism · US · "
• Sialogogue · US · "
• Sore · US(Amerindian) · "
• Spasm · US · "
• Stomatitis · US · "
• Sudorific · US · "
• Tonic · US · "
• Ache(Tooth) · US(Amerindian) · "
• Ache(Tooth) · US(Appalachia) · "
• Ache(Tooth) · US · "
• Cancer · US · "
• Gonorrhea · US(Amerindian) · "
• Suppurative · US(Amerindian) · "
• Expectorant · US · "
• Stimulant · Mexico · "
• Wound · US(Amerindian) · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Antifungal constituents of northern prickly ash, Zanthoxylum americanum mill. · 2005 source ↗
• Cytotoxic coumarins and lignans from extracts of the northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum). · 2001 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ALLOXANTHOXYLETIN
• BERBERINE
• HERCLAVINE
• O-METHYLTYRAMINE-N-METHYL-CINNAMIDE
• TAMBETARINE
• XAMTHOXYLETIN
• XANTHOXYLIN
• MAGNOFLORINE
• RESINS
• TANNINS
• BETA-FAGARINE
• NITIDINE
• CHELERYTHRINE
• CANDICINE
• CNIDILIN
• GAMMA-FAGARINE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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