Zanthoxylum piperitum – Japan pepper, Japanese prickly-ash

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Rutaceae

Zanthoxylum piperitum – Japan pepper, Japanese prickly-ash

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Grows from a shrub shape to small, sometimes multi-stemmed tree with a round crown. The year-old twigs are short, almost wax-haired and later bare. They are brown and there are two flat thorns under each bud. The old bark is grey and sometimes the old thorns are visible as small bumps. The graceful, imparipinnate leaves are 7 - 15 cm long and consist of 11 to 23 oval leaf segments. The margins are finely serrated and the tip of the terminal leaflet is dissected to retuse. The leaf stem is hairy and has a few small prickles on the underside. The leaf turns yellow in autumn. Compact clusters of green flowers open in June. They are followed by small reddish spherical fleshy capsules. These contain black seeds. In Japan the seeds are ground and used as pepper. A park tree that has few soil requirements.

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Specifications
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Height
3 - 5 m
Crown
round, half-open crown, capricious growing
Bark and branches
twigs brown and short-haired, bark grey
Leaf
imparipinnate with 11 - 23 leaf segments, oval, glossy dark green, 1.5 - 3 cm, feathered leaf
Autumn colour
yellow
Flowers
in axillar♂ clusters, green, June
Fruits
fleshy, round capsule, reddish, aromatic
Spines/thorns
Yes
Toxicity
usually not toxic to people, (large) pets and livestock
Soil type
few requirements
Paving
tolerates no paving
Winter hardiness zone
6 (-23,3 to -17,8 °C)
Wind resistance
fairly to good
Other resistances
resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6), can withstand wind
Fauna tree
valuable for butterflies
Application
tree containers, roof gardens
Shape
clearstem tree
Origin
Northern China, Korea, Japan
Clear stem tree clay soil loamy soil nutrient-poor soil peaty soil sandy soil tolerates no paving resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6) can withstand wind 3rd size, smaller than 6 metres half-open crown green green average growing Feathered leaf Attractive autumn colour valuable for butterflies non-toxic (usually) Capricious growing Ornamental fruit yes
Frequently asked questions
Zanthoxylum piperitum

Zanthoxylum piperitum can eventually reach a height of 3 - 5 m, depending on the site and climate conditions.

Zanthoxylum piperitum is average growing and can eventually reach a height of 3 - 5 m, depending on the site and climate conditions.

The leaves of Zanthoxylum piperitum turn yellow in autumn.

The right time to plant Zanthoxylum piperitum is during the dormancy period. In Western Europe, Zanthoxylum piperitum with root balls can generally be planted from mid-November to late April, although this depends strongly on the climatic conditions and the species of tree.

Zanthoxylum piperitum blooms in june.
General