Common Name: Christ's Thorn

General Information

Paliurus spina-christi is a very spiny, deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow from 3 - 7 metres tall
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a food. It is grown as an ornamental, where it has a long history of use as a hedge.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

S. Europe - France and Spain to Ukraine and Greece; W. Asia - Turkey and the Levant, to central Asia and Afghanistan; N. Africa - Morocco, Algeriia

Habitat

Hedges, roadsides and thickets, in maquis and garigue on dry sandy hills; at elevations up to 3,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Paliurus spina-christi is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -15°c when fully dormant[, ].
Prefers a position in full sun, though tolerant of light shade[, , ]. Succeeds in most ordinary garden soils so long as they are very well drained[]. Grows well in a limy soil[]. Grows well in dry soils and, once established, is drought tolerant[]. Prefers a light sandy soil in a warm sunny position[].
Plants are of slow to moderate growth[].
The branches are pliable and excessively spiny[].
Plants respond well to coppicing. They can regrow from the base if they are cut back by severe weather[].
The flowers are slightly perfumed[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or dried for later use. A pleasant sub-acid taste, somewhat resembling dried apples[]. The woody fruit is up to 30mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The fruits are antirheumatic, astringent, diuretic, hypocholesterolemic and tonic[, ]. They are also used in the treatment of inflammation, diarrhoea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease[].
A water extract of the fruit and itscompounds show antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities[]

The fruits contain a range of medically-active compounds including tannins, alkaloids, sterols, and a number of flavonoids such as rutin, isoquercetin, quercetin-3-rutinoside-7-rhamnoside and kaempferol-3-glycoside[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plants are used for hedging, they have a loose but bushy habit[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame and moved into the greenhouse in late winter. Fair to good germination[]. 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, mid summer in a frame[].
Root cuttings 4cm long, December in a greenhouse. Fair to good percentage[].
Layering