My first introduction to prickly ash was a good lesson in patience. After learning that the berries could numb your mouth, I tried one. Nothing happened. I tried a second, still nothing. By the third berry, I finally felt a slight tingle, so I popped in a fourth. That was a huge mistake! I should've waited, because all four hit me at once and turned me into a drooling mess, profusely salivating with a partially numb mouth.
Known as nature's toothache medicine, prickly ash was historically used by Native American tribes. In Minnesota, that would be the Ojibwa and Dakota. They used the bark and berries to treat everything from coughs and colds to cramps and rheumatism. Chewing the bark stimulates your saliva and numbs pain on contact, making it great for toothaches, while brewing the berries into tea works wonders for a sore throat.
Since they aren't very abundant throughout the state, I decided to gather some seeds this year to grow in my garden. If you're interested in doing the same, the best time to get the seeds is in late July - early August. The plant is easy to identify - look for compound leaves with 5-11 leaflets, citrus scented berries, and thorns. It's not hard to recognize when it's full of red berries. Just rub your hands over a bunch and smell.
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