Citharexylum spinosum

Citharexylum spinosum is a flowering shrub or a small tree that reaches a maximum height of 15 m. The tree is semi-deciduous, and it loses its leaves mainly in colder areas. In Israel, it is mostly evergreen. The leaves are dark green, tending toward blue, oval, about 20 cm long and turn orange in the fall. The tree’s green foliage is impressive and attractive. The trunk is grooved and sculptural. The white flowers grow in long white clusters of up to 30 cm. The flowers are very fragrant at night and attract bees during the day. The fruit resembles red-orange fleshy berries, which ripen into inedible black berries, but in Israel it almost never bears fruit because the tree’s growth stops in winter after flowering in summer and fall. The tree grows quickly, and it prefers nutrient-rich and well-drained soil, even though it will get by in most types of soil. The tree requires auxiliary watering, especially in summer. Otherwise, it will not look green and vital, and it may even dry out.

Its common name ‘fiddlewood’ comes from the fact that its wood is used to make musical instruments, mainly violins. Despite this use of the tree, it is not particularly strong and has a tendency to break in strong winds. Because of its tendency to break and fast growth rate, we do not recommend it as a street tree. It is very suitable as a solitary tree or to use for screening and privacy.

The tree should be designed from a young age, and it responds well to proper and appropriate pruning, as is done in our nursery.