Colletia hystrix

Colletia hystrix, the Crucifixion Thorn, is a large shrub or small tree from Chile and Argentina where it grows in very arid areas characterised by low rainfall and low fertility. It is something a bit different... a large bushy plant that is entirely spiny, its leaves entirely absent. Because of this rather antisocial behaviour it does need a large space in which to grow so that - undistracted by the dangers of bumping into it - you can start to appreciate its subtle charms. Not least of these are its flowers: produced in the autumn they are a dense riot of highly-fragrant blooms that the bees and butterflies go mad for. Its deep tubular flowers and prominent stigma seem particularly attractive to the butterflies. There is some species variability in the flowers colour which can range from white through pink to pinkish-red but the form we sell are consistently white with a touch of rose-pink on the unopened buds. They are gorgeous and the over-powering scent from such a prickly thing is one of botany's delightful incongruities.

Another curious charecteristic of Colletia is that it is one of a relatively small group of non-leguminous plants that fix nitrogen in the soil. Together with its extraordinary ability to survive extremes of drought this makes it in a ideal choice for planting where the soil is poor and dry or the area is subjected to long periods of low rainfall.

Often listed as Colletia armata, Colletia hystrix is its correct name.

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