Euphorbia milii. Crown of thorns plant. C13/14

The Euphorbia milli or crown of thorns is a succulent on the euphorbiaciaes family, peculiar for its brown erected branches full of thorns and for its flowers.

They will bloom all the year, if we place them in a sunny place,  and with moderated irrigation.

They are slow growing, and normally do not get higher than 1.00mtr.  So, trimming is not recommended until the second or third year after being planted, and mainly in spring.

For a good maintenance we will get rid of the wilted leaves and flowers, to keep them in good shape and to supply a good air circulation. Also we can add some good fertiliser.

We can use them for seaside areas and are drought tolerant, although they will loose the leaves.

One other characteristic is the toxic latex sap which is in all the plant and that we can see when a branch is broken.

Scale insects and mealybugs are the most frequently seen together with spider mites and thrips as an occasional problem.

Diseases will be prevented by not growing the plants in situations where the soil or leaves remain wet.