Growing the Crown of Thorns

The Crown of thorns is also known by the names Christ plant, Christ thorns, and Euphorbia milii. A member of the spurge family, it is a drought-tolerant semi-succulent that works well indoors and in containers. Euphorbia milii is native to Madagascar and in the same genus as the poinsettia.

The genus Euphorbia has over 2,000 members that are named. They range from succulents to annuals and perennials, or shrubs and trees. Plants in the Euphorbia class are easy to distinguish as they all have one stigma and one stamen. Stigmas are the pollen receiving the female part of a plant and the stamen is the pollen releasing the male part of the plant.

Description

This shrub-like semi-succulent will grow to three feet tall and 2 feet wide. Bright green leaves are leather-like and fleshy, like most succulents. There will be times when the plant will not have leaves on it.

Flowers are tiny, yellow-green in color, and have bracts growing around them. The bracts that surround the yellow-green flowers can be red, yellow, white, orange, and pink. Blooms appear in the spring and the summer seasons. Thorns are black and ½ inch long, covering the branches and the stems thoroughly.

Growth

The crown of thorns will grow slowly even in the best conditions and should be in poor soil, sandy if possible, but well-drained. It can be semi-tolerant to salt. Lighting for the crown of thorns is full sun conditions however partial shade will work as well. While it is fine under a drought, regular watering of the plant will keep it blooming and keep the leaves on it longer. It should be ideal when grown in USDA hardiness zones of 8 through 11.

Propagation

Propagate the crown of thorns plant with cuttings. The cuttings should be taken from the Euphorbia in the spring or summer season. To grow a plant from cuttings one needs to put it in warm water and then remove, allowing it to dry and callus. Then insert into the sand to root. Rooting should occur in a couple of weeks. After there are roots on the plant, it can be transplanted to its permanent location.

Warning

If ingested the crown of thorns can be poisonous. Its sap is also a skin irritant so care should be taken around the plant. This is pretty typical of all Euphorbia plants. It shouldn’t be used around small children or pets that tend to chew on plants.

For an interesting, albeit painful to touch, add to a succulent garden, the crown of thorns plant is a good choice for those areas that do not get much traffic flow.