Wild Lime (Zanthoxylum fagara)

The aromatic evergreen Wild Lime, also known as Satin Wood and Prickly Ash, is a small tree or shrub native to Florida, adorned with sharp, thorny branches and lacey, compound foliage which can be pruned into effective landscape hedges or kept in a container. 

A dioecious member of the Rutaceae family along with Cork and Citrus, the Wild Lime bears tiny, year-round yellow-green flower clusters at the leaf axil. The edible fruit, typically eaten by birds and wildlife, is quite a distant cousin from its typical Lime relatives.  The fruit has a lemon zest flavor that first tingles then leaves a numbing quality which was found useful for toothaches, much like the Chinese culinary ingredient, Szechuan pepper, also a Zanthoxylum species. Dried, ground leaves are sometimes used as a spice and have a similar taste and effect.  The wood, prized for furniture making, has historically been used for making bows for arrows. The bark, fruit and leaves of the Wild Lime can be ground to a powder and used as a spice.

In their native habitat, they are often found in hammocks of South Florida, providing shelter for birds and butterflies. Their slight salt tolerance and sandy soil preference makes them perfect for landscaping tropical backdrops. If you’re craving to host some swallowtail butterflies, these trees will be the perfect vacancy sign.