Other Names:  Christ Plant, Christ Thorn

Description:

A visually striking dwarf selection; vertically upright stems are woody and very thorny, crowned with bright sea-green oval leaves; blooms seasonally with clusters of showy scarlet flowers; perfect for the garden or borders; also great for rock gardens

Ornamental Features

Dwarf Apache Red Crown Of Thorns features showy clusters of scarlet flowers held atop the branches from mid spring to mid summer. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage which emerges light green in spring. The oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Dwarf Apache Red Crown Of Thorns is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an indistinguished habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spiny

Dwarf Apache Red Crown Of Thorns is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Dwarf Apache Red Crown Of Thorns will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Dwarf Apache Red Crown Of Thorns makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.