Zanthoxylum capense is a suitable tree for small gardens with glossy, spiky bright green leaves, and spines resembling little rhino horns borne on the slender stem. The Small Knobwood has a sparse crown and will not cast too much shade in your small space. Fruit borne in dense clusters is much enjoyed by birds. The green-white flowers are inconspicuous but scented and attract insects, and it is the host plant for the White-banded and Emperor Swallowtail butterflies usually attracted to members of the citrus family – crushed Knobwood leaves emit a lemony smell. Remember insects are key to a wildlife friendly garden! Use Zanthoxylum singly or in a group. This unusual tree is tough and withstands some drought and moderate frost. It is very popular for use in indigenous medicine – the twigs are used as toothbrushes and ground roots and leaves were used in the flu epidemic of 1918 (Trees of Eastern South Africa by Richard Boon).