Hercules Club
Zanthoxylum clava-herculis
Last reviewed: September 2026
Hercules Club is a thorny small tree of sandy coastal woodlands and dunes in the southeastern United States, blooming from March through May and drawing butterflies to its small clustered flowers.
Toxicity unknown
Hercules Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
120"–300" H × 144"–180" W
Bloom
Mar, Apr, May
Native to
AL, AR, FL, GA and 7 more states
Pollinators
butterflies
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
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Hercules Club is a native Texas tree known for its distinctive trunk covered in large, cork-like thorns. It produces clusters of small greenish flowers in spring followed by small red berries, and its compound leaves turn yellow in fall before dropping.
Growing Hercules Club
Grow Hercules Club in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 120 to 300 inches tall and spread 144 to 180 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Hercules Club takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
Works well in: backyard only.
- Tree size exceeds typical HOA-friendly range
- Best suited for backyard or with special approval
Wildlife value
This tree serves as a host plant for giant swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. The flowers attract various pollinators, and birds feed on the small berries.
Common questions
- What growing conditions does Hercules Club need?
- Hercules Club does best in full sun to part sun with well-drained, sandy soil. Once established it tolerates low water and dry spells, making it a good fit for coastal and sandhill plantings in the Gulf and southeastern states.
- When does Hercules Club bloom?
- Hercules Club typically flowers from March through May, producing small greenish-yellow clusters before the tree leafs out fully.
- Do butterflies use Hercules Club?
- Yes. Hercules Club serves as a larval host plant for giant swallowtail butterflies, and its flowers also draw adult butterflies for nectar.
- Is Hercules Club HOA-friendly?
- Hercules Club takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Hercules Club? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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