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Crucifixion Thorn or Corona de Cristo, Castela emoryi

Crucifixion Thorn or Corona de Cristo, Castela emoryi
Simaroubaceae

Crucifixion thorn is a common name applied to more than one shrub in the southwestern United States, so identification can be confusing. The name is a reference to the Biblical story of the crown of thorns placed on the head of Christ at his crucifixion.

The BLM maintains a large group of these plants in a fenced-in area just south of Highway 98 at Coyote Two Road, 8 miles east of the County Road S-2 junction. To see them with red or brown berries resembling drops of blood, visit between mid May and mid July.