Euphorbia milii – Crown of Thorns

For an unbeatable plant, you have to try the crown of thorns. It is an ornamental plant that is drought- and heat-tolerant and flowers all year!

Known as the crown of thorns, Euphorbia milii is a water-storing succulent from tropical Madagascar. The best thing about this plant is that needs very little maintenance. Make sure it is planted in full sun or semi-shade, just a bit water, food and very little care.

Description

Tiny little flowers form in the middle of colourful bracts. The flowers come in colours including red, cream, lime green, orange, pink and yellow. Its main flowering season is in spring and summer, but it will produce colour all year round. It also has evergreen leaves. While it usually reaches 30 – 60cm in height, some varieties will make it to over a metre.

Uses for Crown of Thorns

The very spiky stems on this plant makes it useful as a substantial security barrier. When many are planted together, and planted against an outside wall they make it harder to climb. It’s useful in the garden too, as a scrambling groundcover or even an upright shrub. It is superb planted in pots and can even be used as a houseplant in bright light as long as it is turned once a week to get as much light as possible. And to round things off, it is also salt-tolerant so adds coastal versatility to its resume.

The only real weakness is that it doesn’t like the cold – anything below 10°C – and it will suffer badly in frost. That said, it is easily propagated from cuttings.

READ MORE: Learn about another wonderful and drought-tolerant Euphorbia.

Pruning Crown of Thorns

If a plant gets too leggy, chop it back and new stems will grow where the cuts are made. Do this to make bushier plants that will in turn produce more flowers. Make sure to use gloves when pruning, as the sap is toxic.

Water

There’s always the risk of overwatering, so if in doubt skip watering. Even less watering is required in winter.

Soil

Most well-draining soil will work, but the sandier the better. Feeding An occasional dose of slow-release fertiliser during summer is enough.

Pests and diseases

You may find the usual suspects like spider mites, scale and mealybugs in the pest category, but be careful of falling leaves that get skewered on the spines and trap moisture, as this can encourage fungal diseases and bacteria. Clean the stems regularly, make sure the soil is still well-draining and don’t overwater for the best results.

Note:

Studies carried out in Brazil have found that the milky latex found in this euphorbia, which is moderately toxic to humans, is also an effective pest control substance for snails and has been recommended by the World Health Organisation for use in controlling this pest.

Warning: The latex from this plant can cause skin irritations on contact and is moderately toxic, but very toxic for farm animals and pets like cats and dogs.