Yesterday I went to rescue some plants before an area on a college campus is razed for a building. I was looking at a Texas Toothache Tree when I noticed eggs on it, then I saw a couple of tiny cats on the foliage also. I thought about it for a while, then decided that since the plant was way too big for me to dig up, I'd take the leaves home that had eggs or cats. So that's how I came to have these 2 cats and 5 eggs now. I'm sure they are Giant Swallowtail eggs and cats! I didn't really kidnap them because I had permission to take plants home and those leaves were from a plant.
Went to rescue plants, but took cats/eggs home!
That's really neat Linda!
I am hoping to see some GST cats on one of my hosts soon. They are hard to see on the Rue, (I have 3 different hosts for them now), but I saw a female fluttering around there a week ago, so I expect something to emerge and move soon, lol.
Keep posting the progress, I'm watchin'
Deb
How exciting Linda!
I don't know if I could grow a Toothache Tree...sounds too painful, in fact, my crown fell off Friday and my dentist was able to get me in right away....long story short....I have a toothache now because of the work she had to do.....not fun. Why is it called that, do you know?
Great find though! I have got to get some Rue!
They are pretty hardy Roxanne, if it is Hercules Club/ Prickley Ash, Linda is referring to. Really tough plant, I love mine already. I think it is called Toothache Tree for it's homeopathic use as a remedy for toothache.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/31749/index.html
Deb - How big is your Hercules Club?
I finally planted mine in the ground today and ..... oh my gosh! ....... the thorns were horrible to work around. Sharp and long thorns in clusters that kept snagging my gloves and skin. If you haven't already, get it in the ground while it is still small. I made the mistake of waiting until it was about 30" tall and it was a bugger to pull out of the pot and place into it's new home in the ground. Be sure to plant it somewhere far away from human and animal traffic. Those thorns are painful!!!! I sure hope that it attracts the butterflies! Not a plant I would put in my yard for any other reason. ;-)
The species that grows here in southcentral Texas is Zanthoxylum hirsutum, not Zanthoxylum clava-hercules. It's smaller and most are shrub-size rather than tree-size. The thorns are a problem, but living where I do and being an outdoor type, native-plant person, I'm used to thorns. I have a small Texas Toothache Tree on my property also. Here's a link to show that species:
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/rut/zanthoxylum_hirsutum.htm
Linda - That's interesting. They are very, very similar!
Yes, the prickles on the leaves is what I got snagged by. I guess it might be protection from birds or other larger predators for cats to be on this bush/tree. The foliage is a nice glossy green and seems to also be a fast grower. But OUCH! do those thorns hurt!!! I also have a Wild Lime plant in the same area and it also has thorns, but not like that of the HC.
I'm kinda like Linda...used to thorns, and trapesing around in the woods. I got this HC from frostweed, ((Josephine)), so I'm thinking what I have is the Texas Native one. It's about 30" and shaped like a tree.. All the leaves are in a 10" ball on top.
Beckym I'll tell you more about the gnarlieness of the thorns later on today after I plant that puppy in the ground. From here the thorns on the Flying Dragon i have look a lot more gnarley than this HC.
:-Deb
Here's what Tx Herc Club looks like in it's new home. Right across the aisle from one of the Spicebushes. (Lindera Benzoin)
It was fairly easy to plant, I didn't get hooked by a thorn. Having the long trunk helped, I could see where to hold and managed to miss them. Whew!
Deb
Here, a not as clear as I'd like.. pic of the thorn>
Deb, both of those species are native to Texas. Z. clava-hercules grows wild mainly in the eastern third of Texas. Around here, we just don't have deep enough topsoil to keep it happy. At least, that's what I think. Actually, on my property, there's not much of any topsoil except what I buy to put in raised beds.
Yes Linda~
I had to bring in almost 200 bags of manure, topsoil, compost, earthworms, earthworm castings, all kinds of stuff...to amend the soil in the back raised beds. I dig deep holes to plant new things too, and mix it up good. So far everything is doing alright.
I had thought both Z clavica and hirsutum were natives, just the hirsutum is called 'TX' Toothache. Anyway, I am glad to get one finally. I wanted it for a while. This one is extra special to me.
Deb