Ephedra fragilis Seeds | Joint Pine

Reddish-brown Joint Pine seeds enclosed in fleshy cone scales, on a plain background — Joint Pine (*Ephedra fragilis*): Ephedraceae, native to coastal cliffs and dry scrub of the western Mediterranean.

LATIN NAME: Ephedra fragilis

COMMON NAME: Joint Pine

Plant Profile

Joint Pine is a straggling, almost climbing shrub of the western Mediterranean, with long, whip-like green stems that lean on neighbouring bushes and can reach two metres or more. The joints are thick and widely spaced, the scale leaves are tiny and brown, and in spring the female plants carry bright red, fleshy cones that look like small berries.

It grows on coastal cliffs, rocky slopes and dry scrub from Portugal and Spain through the Balearics to Morocco, Algeria and Sicily, and it is one of the few ephedras that will take salt spray. The red cones are eaten by birds, which spread the seed along the coast.

Science & Biotechnology

Ephedra fragilis belongs to a small complex of Mediterranean species whose taxonomy has been argued over for a century; some authors recognise subspecies, or treat forms from the eastern Mediterranean as separate species. Molecular work has helped sort the group out, but the boundaries are still not settled, and plants in cultivation are often misnamed.

Alkaloid screening of Mediterranean ephedras has found ephedrine-type compounds in several species, in much lower concentrations than in Ephedra sinica, and the genus remains of pharmacological interest for that reason. The red, fleshy cones are a rarity in the genus, most of whose species have dry, winged seeds, and they mark a shift to bird dispersal. It also resprouts from the crown after fire, which is one reason it persists on grazed and burned desert range.

Uses & Benefits

In its native range it is regarded as a botanical curiosity and a coastal ornamental rather than a crop. Its long green stems give a Mediterranean garden the leafless, architectural look of a desert shrub, and it is tolerant of wind, salt and drought once established.

The stems contain alkaloids and must never be brewed or eaten; this is a plant to look at, not to use. Its red cones in spring are a small ornamental bonus and will bring blackcaps and other fruit-eating birds into the garden. The plant also shrugs off salt-laden wind, which is why it is sometimes planted on coastal banks.

Growing from Seed

Sow in spring after a day’s soak in warm water, five millimetres deep in a mix of equal parts grit, sand and loam. Keep the tray at 20 to 22 °C in good light, and be patient: germination is spread over four to eight weeks and often only half the seed is viable.

Plant out in full sun against a warm wall or on a freely draining bank, and water only until the plant is established. It needs no feeding and dislikes winter wet far more than cold. Prune lightly if the stems become too straggly, but remember that the plant flowers on older wood.

Our Take

A Mediterranean ephedra with red cones and a scrambling habit, best used as a sculptural shrub on a dry bank. Salt, wind and drought it takes; wet feet it does not.

Herb Seeds