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Garden In Delight

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Christ Thorn

Home » Plants » Christ Thorn
Christ Thorn
Perennials & Shrubs, Plants to See
Ziziphus spina-christi
Rhamnaceae, Buckthorn Family
©2019 Shelley S. Cramm, Christ thorn, Ziziphus spina-christi, photographed at San Antonio Botanical Garden in the Sacred Garden full view
©2019 Shelley S. Cramm, Christ thorn detail of thorns San Antonio Botanical Garden in the Sacred Garden
They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery.
Mark 15:17 The Message
pinterest image
God's Word for Gardeners Bible
Find thistles in God's Word for Gardeners Bible featured in the Garden Work devotions on Preparing the Soil, beginning on page a-23
©2019 Shelley S. Cramm, Christ thorn with deceivingly lush branches have hidden thorns to pierce those who draw close
And the thorn-bush said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, come, put confidence in my shadow
Judges 9:15 DARBY

Cultural Information

TypeOrnamental Shrub
Height5 to 30 feet
Soilfertile, fine grained soil
Exposurefull sun to partial shade
Leavesoval, semi-glossy, alternate, 3 distinctive veins from stem to tip; pair of spines form at leaf base
Flowerspetite, pale yellow, star shaped, in clusters, flowers spring to fall
Fruitsmall, oval, golden, edible, stone fruit, ripens in summer

Planting Tips

  • Christ thorn is hardy to zone 9
  • best to propagate by seed
  • not widely available commerically in the U.S.
  • branches are arching and flexible, similar to river birch branches, though leaves are evergreen and glossy like the myrtle

Garden to Table

  • a crown of thorn branches makes a powerful centerpiece or table display, especially during the weeks of Lent up to Resurrection Day
  • while Christ thorn is a rare plant in the U.S., other garden plants with thorny branches can be used to make a crown of thorns - rosebushes are a simple substitute
 

More Research

See Blog Posts on Christ Thorn
In a poignant detail, the taunting Roman soldiers made a crown of thorns to place on Jesus’ head, mocking his kingship (Mark 15:17). Thus God’s curse from the Garden of Eden came to rest on the head of Jesus Christ
-from the NIV God's Word for Gardeners Bible
©2019 Shelley S. Cramm, Christ thorn with deceivingly lush branches have hidden thorns to pierce those who draw close
And the thorn-bush said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, come, put confidence in my shadow
Judges 9:15 DARBY

Photo Credits

©2019 Shelley S. Cramm, Christ thorn, Ziziphus spina-christi, photographed at San Antonio Botanical Garden in the Sacred Garden full view
©2019 Shelley S. Cramm, Christ thorn detail of thorns San Antonio Botanical Garden in the Sacred Garden
©2019 Shelley S. Cramm, Christ thorn with deceivingly lush branches have hidden thorns to pierce those who draw close
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