Paliuris spina-christi
| Paliuris spina-christi | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 16' |
| Width: | 16' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Paliuris spina-christi (common name: christ's thorn)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame and moved into the greenhouse in February. Fair to good germination[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and overwinter them in the greenhouse for their first year. Plant them out in early summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[2].
Root cuttings 4cm long, December in a greenhouse. Fair to good percentage[1].
Layering
Cultivation: Succeeds in an ordinary well-drained garden soil in full sun[3][2]. Tolerates light shade[4]. Prefers a limy soil[2]. Grows well in dry soils and, once established, is drought tolerant[5]. Prefers a light sandy soil in a warm sunny position[6].
Hardy to about -15°c[5]. Plants are of slow to moderate growth[4].
The branches are pliable and excessively spiny[7].
Plants can regrow from the base if they are cut back by severe weather[2].
The flowers are slightly perfumed[6].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[2].
Range: S. Europe to W. Asia.
Habitat: Hedges, roadsides and thickets, in maquis and garigue on dry sandy hills to 3000 metres[8].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or dried for later use. A pleasant sub-acid taste, somewhat resembling dried apples[9]. The woody fruit is up to 30mm in diameter[2].
Medicinal: Anticathartic, astringent, diuretic and tonic[10].
Usage: The plants are used for hedging, they have a loose but bushy habit[7][2].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall-Early Winter
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: P. aculeata. P. australis. P. virgatus.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Davis, Brian. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.