Featured Plant of the Week (Euphorbia milii)

Euphorbia milii

Euphorbia is a staggeringly diverse genus of plants of over 2,000 species. The variety grown here at BloomRite® Gardens represents just one of these. Called Euphorbia milii, this colorful and eye catching flowering plant is actually a succulent, and has the thorns to match. This, along with its association with biblical legend, helps to explain why it’s commonly called Crown of Thorns, or sometimes Christ Plant.

Euphorbia milii is native to Madagascar, and was introduced to Europe in 1821, by Baron Milius, after whom the plant is named. In nature it’s a climbing shrub that uses its thorny spines to scramble over other plants. It also has a milky latex sap that is mildly poisonous, helping to drive away grazers and heal damage to the plant. One of the more interesting things about the plant is its small colorful blooms. The flowers of Euphorbia milii are actually tiny, and tightly grouped into the center of the bloom in structures called cyanthia. Surrounding that is the pair of ‘petals’ that gives the plant its color. However, these aren’t petals as understood by botany. They are actually a special type of leaf called a bract. This curiosity is very similar to another very famous blooming plant in the Euphorbia genus; specifically Poinsettias, which don’t actually have petals either, but colorful bracts.

Crown of Thorns is very popular as a house plant. Its long lived flowers and hardy disposition make it an excellent choice for something low maintenance. This also means it has an excellent shelf life. With blooms lasting up to four weeks you can be confident that the plant won’t lose its color before you can sell it. The Euphorbia grown here at BloomRite® Gardens have also been bred to be more compact, yet still produce larger and more numerous blooms, making it the most floriferous of its kind on the market. Best of all if the plant is kept in a sunny place it will continue to bloom year round.

As mentioned before, Crown of Thorns is very low maintenance. It will thrive even if you are forgetful about watering it, and loves sunshine, so finding good lighting conditions is simple. About the only thing to beware of is over-watering it. Watering it only after the top of the soil has dried out is usually the best way to avoid this. Watch to see if the leaves start to turn yellow and fall off, as this is usually a good indicator that you need to water it less frequently. Furthermore, it will struggle in places that are too shady. So try to find a window or flower bed that gets at least a moderate amount of light. The more direct sun it receives, the better.

You can buy 4” Euphorbia at BloomRite® Gardens all this summer and into the fall. They are priced $3.75 per pot, and are sold in flats of 8 and 15 plants.