Ziziphus spina-christi is an evergreen shrub or tree that starts branching low down on the bole and forms a thick, tangled crown, it can grow up to 18 metres tall, but is usually considerably smaller. The short bole can be 60cm in diameter.
The plant is harvested from the wild as a local source of food, medicines and materials. It is cultivated for its fruit in the oases of the Sahara, Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, E Africa, Sinai and also in Iran and N India; occasionally also in other areas such as Cuba.
It is also grown for ornamental purposes and to provide shade.

Known Hazards

None known

Habitat

A lower canopy tree confined to patches of upland dry forest at elevations between 1,550 - 2,150 metres, between the lower edges of montane conifer forest, grassland and open woodlands at lower elevations.

Cultivation Status

Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of arid and semi-arid areas in hot tropical or subtropical areas, found at elevations up to 2,400 metres. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 100 - 500mm with a dry season of up to 8 - 10 months; and the mean annual temperature is 19 - 28°c.
The plant is very tolerant of high temperatures, but intolerant of frosts.
Requires a sunny position. It prefers alluvial plains with deep soils, but it can also grow on clay were water is available and in saline soils.
It prefers growing along the edges of ponds, river and wadi banks where groundwater is available.
Established plants are very drought tolerant.
Tolerant of up to 2 months seasonal inundation of the soil.
There are two forms of this plant:-
Var. spina-christi is a tree with white branches. It produces fruits up to 2cm in diameter.
Var. microphylla Hochst ex A. Rich. Is a very bushy shrub. The fruits are up to 1cm in diameter.

Edible Uses

Fruit - fresh, dried or cooked.
The mealy fruit has a pleasant, sub-acid taste, somewhat resembling dried apples.
The fruit is occasionally sweet, but the flavour and texture are inferior to other Ziziphus spp. which have been domesticated in Africa and northern India.
The average fruit weighs about 50g, with a single large seed.

Medicinal

A powder made from the charred thorns is used as an antidote to snake bites.
The roots are used to treat headaches.
The boiled leaves are applied to various surface wounds, and also have anthelminthic and antidiarrhetic properties.
A cataplasm of young leaves is used to reduce eye inflammations.
The fruits are used as an emollient and astringent.
They are also reputed to reduce abscesses and boils.
A narcotic beverage made from the fruits is considered to be a tranquilliser and sedative.
The leaves contain various alkaloids, including ziziphine, jubanine and amphibine, alpha terpinol, linalool and diverse saponins.

Agroforestry Uses

A thorny plant, it is grown as a stock-proof hedge and living fence.
It also makes a useful windbreak and shelterbelt.
The tree develops a very deep taproot and spreading lateral roots, making it useful for stabilizing sand dunes and other unstable soils.
The tree improves soil quality by increasing available phosphorus.
The tree is sometimes interplanted with millet.

Other Uses

It has been reported that applying the bark in larger doses reduces nematode activity in cereal fields and leads to significant increase in the yield of sunflowers.
In a trial, a methane extract of the leaf at a concentration of 10,000ppm in distilled water reduced the egg hatching of root nematodes by more than 99% after 21 days compared with a control.
The red or dark brown wood is hard, heavy and resistant to termites. It is used for cabinet making, tool handles, posts, furniture, turnery and general carpentry.
The wood makes a good fuel and an excellent charcoal.

Propagation

Seed -