Jerusalem thorn is a small tree growing to 25 ft  tall with a short trunk and a graceful, spreading, sometimes weeping, crown to 20 ft  wide. The slender branches and twigs have green bark, and are armed with stout spines up to 1" long. Jerusalem thorn has peculiar straplike leaves that look like long, feathery streamers. But it's in the spring that it really puts on a show when it's branches are COVERED by delicate yellow flowers. 

These are a farily fast growing tree; mine has reached well over 15' tall in just about 5 years; I have a neighbor who keeps hers trimmed into a bush form - so how you grow it is completely up to you!

Jerusalem thorn is well suited to informal landscapes. Use it in a cactus and succulent garden and let its lacy foliage and slender twigs contrast with the solid blocky shapes of the succulents. Unaffected by heat, Jerusalem thorn makes a fine street or patio tree and provides a delicate, filtered shade.

Native to Mexico and the Southwest United States, Jerusalem thorn is highly adapted to life in the desert. It has largely done away with leaves that lose water through evaporation and transpiration, producing its food instead within the photosynthetic tissue of the bark.

Winter hardy from zones 8b and warmer.