Ephedra fragilis aka Joint Pine

Ephedra fragilis is a shrub in the Ephedraceae family. It stays green all year. Kew lists it as a shrub that scrambles over support. It comes from Macaronesia and the western and central Mediterranean. Records place it in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and parts of North Africa. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Its home range has a subtropical climate. Wild plants grow on rocky hills and stone walls.

In gardens, it grows about 6 feet [1.8 metres] tall. It keeps its leaves all year. Its form suits sites with support to spread over. PFAF lists beds and walls that face south or west. These sites meet its need for sun and good drainage. The supplied species sources give no clear width at full size. They give few facts about its bark or leaves.

Separate plants bear the male and female parts used to breed. One plant cannot use its own pollen to make seed. Grow both sexes if you need a seed crop. PFAF says the fruit tastes sweet and suits eating raw. Each fruit is about 0.03 feet [0.01 metres] across. The sources give no season for blooms or fruit. PFAF lists no known hazards. This does not mean the plant is wholly safe. Its text on use as medicine includes facts about a different taxon.

Choose a sunny site with soil that drains well. Sand and loam both suit this species. Soil can be slightly acid, neutral, or slightly alkaline. Once plants take root, they cope with drought and lime. Soil may stay dry or moist but must drain well. PFAF lists USDA zones 7–10. Yet it warns that plants have limited hardiness in Britain. It says they withstand just a few degrees of frost. A site with shelter thus fits these limits better than an exposed one.

Sow ripe seeds under glass in autumn. PFAF also lists spring sowing in sandy compost. Move young seedlings to their own pots when large enough to handle. Keep them under glass through at least their first winter. Plant them out after the last spring frost you expect. The source also lists planting out in early summer. Protect young plants through their first winter outside. You can also raise plants by division in spring or autumn. Layering offers a further way to raise new plants.