Tetradymia spinosa
Tetradymia spinosa
Safety & Hazards
Toxicity of this species is low[1], though in general all species of Tetradymia should be considered toxic to grazing animals[2]. Symptoms include swollen, engorged liver with severe fatty changes and low grade nephritis (inflammation of nephrons) of the kidney along with haemorrhaging of the sub-skin and organ linings. Abortions may also occur[2].
Cultivation Details
Tetradymia spinosa is native to the semi-arid regions of southwestern N. America, growing in areas where the mean annual precipitation ranges from 200 - 350mm[2]. Summer temperatures can often exceed 40°c and winters can be cool to cold[1]. The plant grows in the wild on shallow to deep soils with clay and loam textures and a pH in the range 6.5 - 8.2[2]. Established plants are very drought tolerant, shedding their leaves in times of stress[1]. Plants are usually top-killed by fire, but resprout freely from the roots afterwards[1].
Propagation
Seed - it probably benefits from 4 - 6 weeks of pre-chilling prior to sowing[2]. Sow seed in containers in a light position - it should be only lightly covered with soil, but care should be taken to make sure the soil is not overwatered, nor does it dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on until large enough to plant out. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Tetradymia+spinosa>
Pollinators
Bees, Lepidoptera, Insects
References
- [1]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
- [2]Plants Database — United States Department of Agriculture · http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet ↩︎An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
- [3]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.