Ziziphus spina-christi, the Christ's Thorn Jujube is an evergreen tree native to northern Africa and southern Asia. It grows in Palestine in valleys up to an elevation of 500m. It has significance to Jews, Christians and Muslims, and is by some traditions the tree from which Jesus's Crowns of Throns was made.
The ripe fruits are edible and the flowers are an important source of honey in Eritrea and Yemen.
Hardy zone 6-11
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Sowing instructions
The hard, woody shells of the seeds should be cracked with a hammer and the shelled seeds soaked overnight in lukewarm water or scarified in concentrated sulphuric acid for 2 hours then cold stratified for 2 -3 months in the fridge before planting. Plant at around 70 degrees at 1/4 inch deep in well draining sandy soil.
