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Simaroubaceae

Stewart crucifixion thorn is a low, sprawling shrub with many gray-green, leafless branches and branchlets ending in rigid spines. It grows only in Brewster County in Big Bend, and also in Northern Mexico. It is in the same family as the genus Castela, but it is often confused with the unrelated "allthorn" genus Koeberlinia. The leaves are scalelike and ephemeral. The flowers are dioecious, produced on separate plants; they appear in dense clusters in the spring. The fruit, which can be red or green or tan, persists on the plant for one to two years.

Plant Habit or Use: small shrub

Exposure: sun

Flower Color:

Blooming Period: spring

Fruit Characteristics: drupe

Height: to 2 feet

Width: to 3 feet

Plant Character: deciduous

Heat Tolerance: very high

Water Requirements:

Soil Requirements: adaptable

USDA Hardiness Zone: 9

Additional Comments: