by Sarah
(Seattle)
I won it in a contest at a succulent festival and nobody knew what it was called.
When I first got it all the stalks had little clusters of flowers at the top, but the flowers there now are the first I’ve seen in three years.
On one other occasion it generated several clusters of buds that just got brown and died without ever getting close to opening. Right now only one stalk has flowers at the top.
It is very drought tolerant.
Drought Smart Plants reply:
This is the Crown of Thorns plant, known by it’s botanical name of Euphorbia millii.
All the Euphorbia have milky sap that can cause some irritation to certain people, so it’s advised to wear gloves to handle it, especially if you’re pruning it.
It can also be poisonous to cats, who seem drawn to it to taste it.
The flowers are bright red, clustered at the top as you’ve seen, and are supposed to resemble drops of blood.
Very easy to grow and long lived, only needing bright light and the occasional watering, and the rare very light fertilizing.
Jacki
