Zanthoxylum piperitum. Sansho, also known as the Japanese Pepper tree, is famous for the pungent oils found in the leaves, roots and bark, as well as the unique flavors of the pericarp. Those seed casings are roasted and ground for use in Asian cuisines and are the basic ingredient in five spice powder. Medicinal attributes abound. The roots in particular have numerous stimulant properties, and the leaves are the most aromatic you’ll ever find, with a fresh citrus scent when bruised. There’s an American species of Sansho found along fence lines in the Southeast, where locals have long chewed on branches to relieve toothaches, hence the nickname ‘tooth-ache tree’ for Zanthoxylum americanum. The small green Sansho flowers are dioecious, so you need both a female and male tree to produce the pepper berries. Our plants are not sexed, so you may not get the berries even if you grow two trees. That said, the leaves are the thing. An essential ingredient both cooked and raw in many Asian dishes, Sansho leaves look like many other plants in the ash family, with compound pinnate leaves that turn a lovely yellow in the Fall. Sansho is also a beautiful and well-armed landscape specimen, with fat thorns along the trunk and branches. Ultimate height is about 15’ in warmer areas, less in colder regions. Deciduous. Slightly acid to alkaline soil, full sun to dappled shade in areas with intense sun. Moist, well-draining soil. Zones 7-10. Shipping charges are 25% for CA, 30% for OR and WA, and 40% for rest of continental U.S. Orders received by Friday are shipped the following Monday. |
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| Japanese Pepper Tree Grown in 1 gal containers, our new crop of Sansho trees is currently about 2 feet tall, with a narrow caliper main trunk and branching just beginning. This strain is very thorny, with wonderfully fragrant leaves redolent of citrus flowers. | |
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