Your post confuses me in a couple of ways. I don't understand why you think this shrub is is ugly or unworthy of a place in your landscape. I guess by long spikes, you are talking about the thorns? The thorns may make maintenance (weeding and any necessary pruning) a little more involved, but that wouldn't change by placing the tree in an out-of-the-way location.

The biggest unknown, though, about your post is that we haven't seen your yard!!! You should be far, far better qualified to know where the shrub could or should go than us, with our complete lack of anything to go on. Short of an anonymized satellite picture of your yard or a bunch or really good photos of the whole yard, I don't know how we could really help you with this.

This tree or tall bush is full of large thorns. People, especially kids can be injured. I would not want to drive my lawn tractor around this bush. Even mature trunk or bark looks like a halloween decoration.

This plant belongs to the woods, or a place humans do not visit much. I just have not found a place like that yet....

Maybe give it away on Craig's List?

'releasing' none native trees into the wild is frowned upon ... so i dont understand why you are looking beyond your own property ...

kill it.. and be done with it ... if you dont want it on your own property ...

ken

Red Sun, what happened that you got it? Given your lack of enthusiam it wouod seem either you wanna grow it for its fruit or the Sopranos made you take it as a punishment for some transgression.

I looked it up. That tree has some BIG spikes. The right thing to do would be give it to your local botanical garden or kill it. An evil fella like me might plant it where the kids cut through my property or give it to someone with a couple Bradford Pears.

This is a tree I want to grow. To harvest the spice used in Asian cooking. But this tree, particularly in dormant, just ugly.

I have a large property, but all civilized. I won't release it to the wild. I do not think this tree is invasive. Here is an article on this tree. I believe I have the last variety.

http://www.arthurleej.com/p-o-m-May08.html

It looks like most of the trees are grown in the wild.

Do not get me wrong. I like to grow this tree since this is a rare tree and prized for its spice, in China, Japan and maybe India too. But clearly it does not belong to the cultivated world.

Since it is a small tree or tall shrub, I think the best place is to grow it under tall trees. Since my wooded area is in the North, the spot I'm thinking should receive good southern sun exposure. I'll have to search hard to find a spot like this. I've used a lot of the space to plant my daffodils, iris, daylily, etc.

I think this way this tree can blend well with the other trees. It comes with a brother tree, total two of them. But I do not know if they are male or female....

I have a whole collection of Rutaceae shrubs and trees. Although I don't have this particular species of Zanthoxylum, I have others very similar. I have most of mine with a mulched area around them (either grouped or single). So far, I have only really had any issues with one. It was planted a little too close to a fence, and, as it grew large rather quickly, weeding between it and the fence became a little bit of a problem. I ended up taking it out, but all the others have been no problem at all for me. And, I think Zanthoxylum piperitum, for example, is quite attractive!

"But clearly it does not belong to the cultivated world."

You clearly have especially narrow aesthetic sensibilities. I have one of the Asian Zanthoxylum and don't think it's ugly at all. The spice is an interesting bonus but the display of berries is very showy and is the main reason I have one; the grotesque thorny trunk is curiously appealing in the same sense any bizarre looking plant feature is. If you think Zanthoxylum doesn't "belong to the cultivated world" you must think the entire Araucaria genus deserves to be federally regulated!

It is just my opinion. We all have our opinions. My landscape is mainly occupied by magnolia, about 7 varieties. Then red and japanese maples, willow oak and red oak. Then I have about 20 fruit trees and 16 blueberry bushes. So I need to take the landscaping into consideration. I can't change the style of my landscape.

Again, I like this tree. But the same thing that I can't just plant a huge cactus in my front yard. Different style.

OK...for what it's worth, I would be very cautious myself about planting a cactus, or even certain yuccas. I think some of those are far more potentially dangerous. The thorns of Rutaceae seldom break off and embed themselves. Other than the trunk, at a certain size the tree will no longer pose a threat to children, and you could defang the trunk thorns if you really wanted to. I'm sure literally billions of children have grown up around rose gardens without losing an eye or whatever fate you think may befall them. How do I deal with cutting around it with a lawn mower? Just lean a bit to avoid contact and prune its lower branches. Really the only nuisance with something like this tree is the disposal of the cut branches, not the plant itself. If I have a bunch of them I just hold them between a rake and a shovel.

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Sun, Nov 16, 14 at 21:57

Full sun...just because it is a small tree doesn't mean it tolerates shade.

I also think, if grown well has an aesthetic interest. Perhaps not for a small yard but as a design element in a larger landscape.

If it didn't sucker so much, I would plant Zanthoxylum americanum in my yard for the dark green glossy leaves and the Citrus like thorns that are retained even on older stems.

Just found a spot for this tree and his little brother (or sister?). It is planted at the edge of my wooded area. No tall trees around it since I've cut down many wild trees in that area. I'll just need to keep the woody plants away from that side. The good thing is that I do not need to cut the grass in that area. I may keep a wide mulch ring.

Do not know if they are male or female. The previous owner said he got some fruits (peppers) on the trees. Bu he still have 3 such pepper trees.

{{gwi:479943}}

I don't believe they require pollinators. Mine certainly doesn't.

oops, I meant pollinizer.

It is great if they do not have male and female trees, like Gingko, etc.I really like to know what this tree can produce.

Actually, you do need a male and a female tree if you want to get pepper seeds.
Hopefully the OP's 2 trees are one of each...

Tell you what, I'll trade you 1346 Zanthoxylum americanum for your schinifolium. I've got a woods full of those uh, wonderful things!

Now to be sure, I am joking. Just such a goofy thread, I guess I could not resist!

+oM

Shax,
Mine bears very heavily on its own. I have been in the woods around here. There are certainly no Zanthoxylum americanums that could be pollinating it, if that were to be possible. And in fact, according to the range map, they are not native to my area. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Zanthoxylum_americanum_range_map.png/220px-Zanthoxylum_americanum_range_map.png)

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.bayflora.com/szpetr1.html

I received this tree from a friend, who says this is the Chinese pepper (Sichuan pepper) plant. So it has to be Zanthoxylum schinifolium.

The native american varieties seem very different.

A lot of the sources say Zanthoxylum schinifolium have male and female trees. But my friend did not say anything about it. I think he had about 4 total and he dug two of them to me.

A couple links which may or may not clarify things. I usually read citations that Z. simulans is the Sichuan pepper. Mine grows as a tree, as do ones in pictures of orchards in China.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan_pepper

http://www.crug-farm.co.uk/zanthoxylum_schinifolium_bswj11391-351.aspx

www.arthurleej.com/p-o-m-May08.html

" I have seen even isolated female specimens bear viable seeds, so I presume they can thereby clone themselves. "

I wanted to say the silvery branches of this species (Z. simulans) are rather ornamental. Maybe not 'Sango-kakuâ showy, but definitely noticeable and an asset in the landscape. By sheer accident, in a few years my very dark green Ilex 'James G. Esson' will be forming the background, from a certain angle. I think the contrast will be nice.