Wild thing
Wild Lime, I think the giant swallowtail and the endangered Schaus swallowtail butterflies love you!
I was recently asked two citrus questions- one was a friend of mine who had received a small wild lime
plant. She wanted to know of what culinary/herbal use it was. I hated to tell her, only butterflies love it. Zanthoxylum fagara, in the rutacaea family, wild lime is a very prickly large shrub or it can be trimmed into a small prickly tree. Key word here-PRICKLY. Very common in native landscapes through-out zones 9b to 11, it grows in the Southwest as well as Florida and down into South America, the Galapagos Islands, and the Caribbbean basin. It grows 20 to 25 feet high in prime conditions, but does best as an understory plant or by the edge of woods. Although it’s shade tolerant, it adapts well
to full sun. So my research tells me. My first bush, I planted flat out in full sun in the middle of my
backyard. I pointed out to my deceased shrub, the facts that told me it was soil tolerant-acidic; alkaline; sand; loam; or clay, it was not suppose to be picky. I wanted it near my citrus trees to attract the orange-dog caterpillar of the swallowtail butterflies away from my citrus. High drought tolerance; how
about never watering it? Guess that’s where I fell down. Nature was suppose to take care of it. That’s
when it seemed to point out to me, (I talk to my plants dead or alive), see that “once established”? Okay. I then put my second bush at the edge of my jungle area where it got late afternoon filtered light. Another of my friends has a full rounded rooftop high bush. I know its potential.
Being related to citrus, their distinctive evergreen leaves are 4 inches long, with a series of opposite winged round bumps, 5 to 13 of them along its rachis. Their flowers are small, fuzzy, yellow-creamy fluffs on the leaf axils. Male or female flowers are on separate plants- takes two to tango- and appear year around. Tiny orange-brown capsules appear and pop open to show hard, black seeds. These seeds are closely related to Sechuan pepper seeds, Zanthoxylum pipertum. The irregular-shaped branches have hooked spines that cause severe pain and irritation when contacting human flesh. Therefore, they are sometimes called Prickly Ash shrubs or Cat-Claw. In Spanish they are called Una de Gatos, referring to a cat’s sharp claws. A Key West Garden club member wrote, “Cat-claw hooks lay in wait for human invaders of the native wild lime. Pity the poor surveyors of Flagler’s railroad when they
were struggling through the native Keys vegetation and they came to a thicket of wild limes. The mosquitoes might have been horrendous, but other formidable adversaries lay in wait, tempting the men with their lushly-limed scented leaves. The thorns on the wild lime could rip them apart, not to mention create nasty skin irritations.” But like Brer Rabbit’s bramble-bush, this is a benefit for birds that are being stalked by predators. Birds also feast on the seeds and insects attracted to the blossoms, as well as finding a safe haven.
This thorny plant makes a great barrier or deterrent from intruders. It provides security and discourages unwanted trespassers. Plantwise, it is a Native Alternative to the invasive Bishofia javanica and Brazilian pepper tree. As a nectar plant for butterflies and insects,it attracts wildlife, especially
birds, it does benefit our gardens. Its seeds are edible, with a lemony zest that first tingles, then with high amounts numbs the mouth like its cousin, Sechuan pepper. In small amounts, it causes a refreshing tingling, leading it to become a common ingredient in natural toothpaste and toothpowders. Wild lime leaves are called for in some curry recipes. Not eaten, though; remove like a bay leaf before serving. In the West Indies, leaves, twigs, and bark are used in medicine, especially to relieve toothaches. Miccosukee Seminoles made bows and arrows from its wood. They used it to treat their stomachs, circulation, as a stimulant, diuretic, and to treat syphilis. None of which I recommend. But it is a wild thing that can be tamed and utilized.
The second question was whether or not to cover young citrus in our cold spells. To begin with, it can’t hurt, unless you use plastic sheeting. This conducts the cold and bakes the plants when sunlight comes. Sheets, tablecloths, cardboard shield the plants from the worst of the freeze. Citrus is hardier than you think. It can take up to 4 hours of freeze at 27 degrees. If you noticed, the fruit was ruined, but not the plant, recently. I have found that the worst part of a freeze is the drying winds that accompany or follow a freeze. If a freeze is coming, I water deeply and thoroughly ahead of time. The best defense is a healthy plant. We live near the water and it is warmer here than inland, the eastern side of I-75. Here again, well established is a key to hardiness. Even though it’s thorny, regular citrus is a well loved plant. It’s all about love.
Joyce Comingore, Master Gardener, President of the local Hibiscus Chapter and National Board member, member of the local Garden Club of Cape Coral.