Zanthoxylum piperitum

Sansho Pepper, also known as Sancho or Japanese Pepper, is a large shrub or small tree native to Japan, Korea, and China. Renowned for its use as a spice in Japanese and Korean cuisine, Sansho Pepper has a unique aroma and flavor and a heat unlike chili peppers or the piquancy of black pepper. Widely used in savory dishes, this spice adds flavors of citrus, black pepper, and an almost salty savor.

This small statured tree is deciduous with intimidating, yet highly ornamental thorns adorning the branches, looking quite like a rose bush in the winter when it is devoid of leaves. The leaves are pinnate, lofty and also edible, adding a light peppery flavor to a salad or as a garnish on an entrée. The fruits hold well on the tree and are ripe and good to use from mid-summer through early fall. A quick point of clarification: there are several species of Zanthoxylum that all make a similar fruit that can be used as a spice and some of them have male and female plants. It is possible that you may need multiple Sansho Pepper seedlings in order to get peppercorns.

Cold hardy to USDA zone 5a and above, or to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.