Winter care: we are into the colder months. Protect newly planted or tender specimens from hard frosts, and hold off planting out until the frost risk has passed.
Zanthoxylum piperitum, the Japanese pepper or sansho, is the aromatic shrub whose fruit husks give the sansho spice, supplied here as a thornless female plant. Glossy, dark green pinnate leaves turn yellow in autumn, and female plants carry small red fruits that split open to show glossy black seeds. Leaves, bark and fruit are all aromatic.
It is very hardy, rated RHS H6 and down to about -20°C, and needs no winter protection in most of the UK once established. Small yellow-green flowers appear in early summer, and as a deciduous shrub it stands bare through winter.
Give it sun or light shade and soil that drains well, and it settles into a bushy shrub of around 2.5m. It earns a place among other hardy exotic shrubs and is a natural pick for an edible exotic garden.
What you receive: a young female plant in a 17cm / 2L pot.
Live Arrival Guarantee
All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.
Ordering in autumn or winter? Many hardy exotics arrive dormant or cut back right now. This is normal, and the best time to plant.
Seasonal by nature: what to expect
Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.
Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal.
Read what to expect through the seasons
Delivery and returns
See all delivery pricing tiers
Based on your basket total, confirmed at checkout. Free delivery: Economy over £60 · Standard over £100 · Express over £150.
Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.
Outdoor plants are sold by the size of their pot — measured in litres, with the pot diameter in cm.
A larger pot means a more established plant for quicker impact in the garden; a smaller pot is better value and
soon catches up once planted out.
9cm · 0.5L
Young plant
A young, vigorous plant and the most economical way to build up a planting. Give it a season or two and it will romp away.
~13cm · 1L
Starter
A well-rooted young plant, ready to grow on in a border or container. Great value for filling space over a season or two.
~15cm · 2L
Established
A bushier, more established plant with a developed root system — a dependable middle ground that suits most gardens.
~17cm · 3L
Garden ready
A strong, garden-ready plant that establishes quickly and makes a visible difference in its very first season.
~19cm · 5L
Instant impact
A larger, fuller specimen for immediate presence — ideal when you want the planted look straight away.
21cm+ · 7.5L+
Specimen
A mature, substantial specimen — the quickest route to an established, fully planted-up feel.
Pots that fit this plant
We recommend
How to care for Japanese pepper
Plant me in full sun and the coldest UK winters do not worry me.
In their words
What our customers say
EP
Emily P.
Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.
JR
James R.
Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.
SL
Sophie L.
Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.
Get to know me
About Japanese pepper
Zanthoxylum piperitum needs full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.
RHS H6, hardy to about -20°C. Once established it needs no protection in most of the UK. In the coldest gardens give it a sheltered spot, as plants have been lost in severe Scandinavian winters. It sits comfortably alongside our other hardy exotics.
Position
Full sunPartial shadeExposedSheltered
Full sun or partial shade. It copes with open and sheltered sites, but in colder areas a sunny, sheltered spot gives it the best start. Plant it towards the middle of an exotic border, where the yellow autumn leaves and red fruits show well.
Soil
LoamSandWell-drained
Loam or sandy soil that drains well; avoid ground that sits wet. In a container, use a free-draining compost and a pot with good drainage holes. It makes a good long-term subject for patio pots.
Watering
Water regularly through the first growing season until established, then only in long dry spells. Plants in pots need watering through summer.Read moreShow less
Water regularly through the first growing season until established, then only in long dry spells. Plants in pots need watering through summer.
Mature size
Height2.5 m
Spread2.5 m
Growth habit
Bushy
Flowering
JFMAMJJASOND
Early summer · Green, Yellow
Foliage
Deciduous
Scent
Aromatic leaves, bark and fruit
Pruning
Minimal (RHS group 1). Remove dead, damaged or crossing shoots when dormant in late winter or early spring.
Native range
Japan and Korea (WCVP also lists the eastern Himalaya)
Family
Rutaceae
Also known as
Zanthoxylum piperitum
Genus
Zanthoxylum
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Zanthoxylum piperitum used for?
The dried husks of the fruit are sansho, the Japanese pepper spice. The plant is also valued as an ornamental: an aromatic shrub with glossy leaves and yellow autumn colour. It fits well with our other exotic edibles.
Are sansho pepper and Sichuan pepper the same thing?
No. Sansho comes from Zanthoxylum piperitum, the Japanese pepper. The other name is sometimes applied to this plant, but it properly belongs to a different species, Zanthoxylum bungeanum.
Will one plant produce peppercorns?
This is a female plant, the sex that bears fruit; male plants flower but do not fruit. Whether a lone female sets fruit without a male nearby has not been documented, so a crop from a single plant is not guaranteed.
Is Zanthoxylum piperitum hardy in the UK?
Yes. It is rated RHS H6 and takes about -20°C, so it needs no winter protection in most of the UK once established. In cold, exposed gardens a sheltered spot is the safer choice. It is deciduous, so bare stems in winter are normal. Browse more hardy exotic shrubs.
Can you grow Zanthoxylum piperitum in a pot?
Yes. Give it a large container with free-draining compost, a spot in sun or partial shade and regular water through summer. It reaches about 2.5m in the ground, so pot it on as it grows or plant it out once it outgrows the container. See more plants for pots.
Does this plant have thorns, and is it var. inerme?
It is the thornless form of sansho, sold by some suppliers as Zanthoxylum piperitum var. inerme (inerme means unarmed). That variety name is not accepted botanically and is treated as part of Zanthoxylum piperitum itself, so the plant is listed under the species name and described as the thornless form.
Are your plants treated with pesticides?
We aim to avoid using pesticides where possible, but we can't control the whole supply chain.
If the plant is going into a vivarium, terrarium or aquarium with live animals, rinse the leaves and roots well, remove any soil and let the plant dry out before adding it. We'd also suggest keeping it away from animals for a month first.
Can I see a photo of the exact plant I'll receive?
We're not able to send photos of individual plants or let you choose a specific one, as plants are selected by our team when your order is packed. Our photos show the variety and the kind of plant you can expect, and yours may vary a little in height, shape or fullness.
If a size has a code next to it, such as 9cm / B2, you're buying the exact plant pictured.
Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.
It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.
If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.
If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.
That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.
Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.
When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.
We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.
Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.
It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.
Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.
Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.
During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.
That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.
The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.
Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.
Perfect for Gifting
From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.
Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.
Sustainability at Heart
All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.
17cm / 2L
