Prickly Ash
Parts Used & Where Grown
The bark and sometimes the berries of these two American trees are used as medicine. There are many other trees in this genus that grow on other continents, including Chinese prickly ash (Zanthoxylum bungeanum), which grows in Asia.
How It Works
Prickly ash bark contains alkaloids and a volatile oil. The fruit is rich in the volatile oil. Little research has been done specifically on the constituents or actions of American prickly ash. Preliminary Chinese trials have reportedly found that oral use of Chinese prickly ash berries can alleviate pain due to indigestion, gallbladder disease, or ulcers, as well as eliminating pinworms.1 Herculin, an alkamide in the plant, produces a localized numbing effect on the tongue when consumed.2 Whether this explains the historical use of prickly ash for toothaches remains to be confirmed in clinical trials.