Wolfthorn Flower
Basic Information
Anatomy
Wolfthorn is a small, thorny plant with woody bark, growing between 8 inches and a foot high. In the spring, they have small fluffy white flowers for reproduction, growing up to four on each stem between sections of 3 inch thorns. Wolfthorn leaves are also small and grow from the bases of the plant's thorns, being thick and almost rubbery to the touch with sharp pointed ends like holly. Stems of the plant are a deep, dark, reddish brown, and the leaves are a dark green.
Genetics and Reproduction
In the springtime, wolfthorn will grow white, fluffy flowers to pollinate. It distinctly has male and female flowers, but each plant will only grow one kind per year and thus cannot self pollinate. Once pollinated, the flowers will close and begin to grow a small bulb at their base for a period of 5 to 8 weeks, at the end of which they will open and release dozens of seeds much like a dandelion. The seeds will be carried by winds to other locations to hopefully sprout and grow a new plant.
The seeds grow quickly upon touching the ground to take root as soon as possible, utilizing the energy in their seed pod for a time being. As the seeds are carried by wind, there is no control over where they land. Most sprouts do not survive into the next year, as they typically do not land in the correct type of soil for them to survive, being too moist, damp, or too high in clay content. Thus, wolfthorn plants have a very low chance of actually reproducing. The activity of people further disrupts this process by constructing farms and irrigation systems that make soil around where the plants reproduce even harder for seedlings to survive.
Growth Rate & Stages
Wolfthorn grows slowly, only half a centimeter in height a year. They can grow up to 3 feet across, however, giving the plant a wide reach to capture as much sunlight as possible.
Ecology and Habitats
This plant prefers loose, rocky soil in colder climates such as mountains, taigas, and occasionally in the lower latitude tundras. It will not grow in moist or damp soil, instead taking advantage of the highly drained, dry soil most plants find difficulty surviving in. They are also commonly found in soils rich in iron.
Due to this. the wolfthorn has a relatively stable niche that is hard to displace naturally, with few competitors. Activity from people is it's largest threat, as its habitat is easily disrupted by construction, irrigation, and farming practices.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The wolfthorn is not a joy to harvest, with its thick, sharp thorns easily tearing through gloves and skin alike. The leaves of the plant are also tough and leathery or rubbery, and not worth eating as well. Despite this, wild populations of wolfthorn have been harvested relentlessly for their medicinal purposes, the sap and fluid from broken sections of the plant being used to clot blood and seal shallow wounds.
Wolfthorn is vulnerable to being overharvested due to its slow growth, as people can take so many leaves from the plant that it cannot photosynthesis properly and will starve to death. Paired with the plant having difficulty reproducing, it can only take over harvesting the plant once or twice to completely and permanently make damage to a region's population for decades to come.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Appalachia and the Land of Gods are the most typical locations to find wolfthorn natively, and the species has succeeded in the colder regions here for millennia. The wolfthorn did historically have populations in Laramidia as well, however the spread of cities and towns has made it too difficult for the plant to reproduce, with all specimens planted there failing to produce seedlings that survive longer than a few weeks.
Lifespan
Indefinite if kept in the correct conditions- In the wild typically 14 to 20 years
Conservation Status
Endangered
Average Height
1 foot
Average Length
3 feet
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Reddish brown stems with dark green leaves. White flowers in the spring
Geographic Distribution
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