Colletia paradoxa
Anchor Plant
A
wickedly interesting, spreading, deciduous, nearly leafless shrub from Uruguay, western Argentina and
southern Brazil that grows slowly to 6 to 9 feet tall with oppositely arranged
flattened 2 inch wide triangular spine tipped gray-green photosynthetic stems, called cladodes, that resemble a ships anchor and small creamy white lightly
fragrant flowers, said to smell like almonds, at the stem joints in late summer
or autumn.
New growth has small leaves that are present only briefly.
Plant in full
sun in a light to medium well-drained soil where it is drought tolerant. Can
tolerate temperatures down to at least 20° F and some claim to as low as 0° F
so long as the soil is kept dry. Prune occasionally to keep dense or contain
size.
Though it is best to plant this plant well away from pathway where on
might find it dangerous, it is an unusually attractive and impressive barrier
plant that nothing would dare go through.
The genus name honors French botanist
Philibert Collet (1643-1718).
This species is synonymous with Colletia
cruciata. Other common names include Crucifixion Thorn, Thorn
of the Cross and Jet-Plane Plant.
