Prickly Ash is a thorny native shrub of dry, rocky forest edges and ravines whose aromatic, numbing berries were used by indigenous peoples for toothaches—earning it the nickname 'toothache tree.' It is an important larval host plant for the giant swallowtail butterfly in the northern parts of its range. The berries are consumed by many songbirds.
Best time to see a Prickly Ash
The best time to see a Prickly Ash is May–August, when about 65% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 5,929 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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Recent Prickly Ash sightings near you
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