{"product_id":"hercules-club-zanthoxylum-clava-hercules-the-cajun-spice-tree","title":"Hercules Club — Zanthoxylum clava-hercules | The Cajun Spice Tree","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGrow your own Louisiana spice. There is nothing else like it.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the rarest and most remarkable tree in the collection. Hercules Club — also called the Toothache Tree — is a true Gulf Coast native with a culinary history as deep as any plant in Louisiana. The bark, leaves, and berries contain hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, the same compound found in Sichuan pepper — a citrusy, numbing tingle that Cajun folk healers used for toothaches and that adventurous chefs are rediscovering in modern Louisiana kitchens.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChew a small piece of leaf. You will feel it immediately. It is unlike anything in any spice aisle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHercules Club is also the exclusive larval host plant for the Giant Swallowtail — the largest butterfly in North America. Plant one and you will have Giant Swallowtails nesting in your yard every year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy It Belongs in Your Victory Garden\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou cannot buy this experience at any grocery store. You cannot import it. It grows here, in Louisiana, in your yard, and nowhere else on Earth is quite right for it. That is the definition of a Victory Garden plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Zone:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7–9 ✅ South and Central Louisiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 15–25 ft — manageable size for any yard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Well-drained, sandy to loam — tolerates poor soils\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bark and berries year-round\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWildlife Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e Giant Swallowtail exclusive larval host; important pollinator tree\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExtremely rare in cultivation. Big Mamou Enterprises is one of very few Louisiana sources.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Mamou Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49995930370288,"sku":null,"price":58.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0824\/7171\/5056\/files\/image_fc66c877-1621-4477-a713-951a54d8bd61.png?v=1783594820","url":"https:\/\/realtimecajun.com\/products\/hercules-club-zanthoxylum-clava-hercules-the-cajun-spice-tree","provider":"Big Mamou Enterprises","version":"1.0","type":"link"}