A genus of flowering plants in the spurge family is called Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae). One of the biggest genera of flowering plants, Euphorbia contains approximately 2,000 different species, from diminutive annuals to enormous, long-lived perennial trees to deciduous shrubs. Some of the most recognizable euphorbias are poinsettia plants.
Plants native to Euphorbia are tough, hardy, and simple to cultivate in a variety of hardiness zones. Euphorbia plants are wonderful complements to flower beds and rock gardens because of their colorful leaves and distinctive flower structures called cyathiums. As long as they receive the proper amount of light, euphorbias thrive as both indoor and outdoor plants. The majority of them hibernate during the winter and bloom in the late spring and early summer.
Does euphorbia live forever?
Euphorbias are resilient, trouble-free perennial plants that are simple to grow. Euphorbias are well known for their distinctive flowers and brilliantly colored leaves, and they make wonderful additions to borders, rock gardens, meadows, and more.
Euphorbia milliiThe Crown of Thorns
You are all probably familiar with this common thorny houseplant that is native to Madagascar and is sometimes compared to the crown of thorns that Jesus Christ wore.
The Euphorbia millii grows to a height of about 1.8 meters, or 6 feet, and has numerous slender stems that have a woody appearance. Each stem has several, up to 3 cm (1.2 inches) long spines that assist the plant scramble toward the light in its natural environment. There aren’t many leaves; they often only appear on the fragile new growth and are a bright green color. From early spring until mid-summer, the attractive red bracts surround each of the tiny, mass-produced blooms, which are extremely small. When given ample heat and water, the magnificent and relatively little specimen’s flowers will bloom continuously. The most popular variety is red, but there are also pink and yellow options that are becoming more and more popular.
Euphorbia ingensCandelabra Tree
The largest member of the species, growing into a massive, multi-branched tree with no leaves that can grow up to 10 meters (33 feet) tall. It is a powerful architectural plant that dominates a large portion of the dry landscape in Africa, where it is found in its natural habitat. When given free root run, plants that are tall and cylindrical with noticeable spines can grow alarmingly quickly in both nature and culture. Even just for its sheer size, the Euphorbia ingens is one of the most beautiful species. Very like cacti in appearance and form; utilized primarily for aesthetic plantings in workplaces, malls, and huge structures.
Some smaller, slower-growing species are better suited to a greenhouse climate and are not one for the faint-hearted collector.
Euphorbia trigonaAfrican Milk Tree
The Euphorbia trigona, as its name suggests, is another plant with native roots in central Africa. This example is erect in stature and forms upright branches. It has a rough appearance with glossy green patterning on the stems and branches, each of which has two or three sides. The vertical ridges on the stems are alternated with tiny teardrop-shaped leaves to generate pairs of small, extremely sharp thorns. The Euphorbia trigona is a well-liked indoor plant with fantastic outside markings that resemble snake skin and a bright green center. It has tremendous structural interest.
Expect a mature height of up to 3 meters, but make sure that the plant has the necessary support. This species can become somewhat top-heavy and has a shallow root system.
Euphorbia gorgonisMedusa head Euphorbia
The Euphorbia gorgonis is a tiny, squat plant that is indigenous to the Eastern Cape Province of Southern Africa. It frequently grows flat to the ground there. a species of the “medusahead Euphorbia” without spines and with a wide main stem caudex. The compact crown on this caudex is surrounded by radial branches that have a somewhat concave center. A popular species with collectors because of its prized stem caudex, neat habit, and symmetrical appearance. An ornamental specimen with a potential long lifespan that is simple to develop slowly. very well-liked by both experts and amateurs.
Euphorbia aeruginosa
The Euphorbia aeruginosa, a native of Southern Africa and another small-growing shrubby species, grows in clumps and produces upright, branching, 4-sided pencil-shaped stems in a deep aqua color. Along the vertical borders on both sides of the stems, there are strong red and copper spines arranged in pairs. This is a truly unique and lovely variety that grows well indoors and matures to a height of around 7 inches (17 cm) and a spread of 10 inches (25.4 cm). Around February, tiny yellow blooms start to appear on the thin stems.
Euphorbia bupleurifoliaPine Cone Plant
From the eastern Cape province via Transkei and Natal, another excellent tiny South African species can be found. The Euphorbia bupleurifolia, also known as the Pine Cone Plant, is a distinctive and fascinating succulent with a swelling caudex stem that is woody and rugged-looking, much like the stem of a pineapple. A tuft of thin, mid-green, oval leaves with a center white leaf edge sprouts from this woody, bulging stem. A great species for indoor use, it can reach a height of around 16 inches (40 cm), sometimes growing as a single caudex and other times branching from the base.
Euphorbia clandestinaVolstruisnek
With an intriguing popular Afrikaner name that refers to the upright, knobby, and tall cylindrical stem structure as “the neck of an ostrich.” Native to South Africa’s Southern Cape, the Euphorbia clandestina is frequently found growing on rocky hillsides next to other low-growing plants that support these erect succulents. These are a species without spines that occasionally branch or have a single upright stem bearing a tall tuft of thin, finely hairy, turquoise-blue leaves. Tiny yellow-green flowers eventually emerge from beneath the mound of leaves that conceal their distinctive flower structures. This magnificent plant matures to a height of 2 feet, 61 cm, and a spread of 12 inches, or slightly over 30 cm. Another excellent plant for growing at home that truly understands nature.
Euphorbia leuconeuraThe Madagascar Jewel
An evergreen plant of medium size that is native to Madagascar and frequently grows in the island’s many rocky forest zones. This little, branching tree grows up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall at its tallest point and has some of Euphorbias’ most beautiful leaves. The woody, upright stem develops into a four-sided, swelling stem structure with distinct vertical borders that is deep green in color. Only on this enlarged portion of the stem do leaves develop; when they do, they are long, oval, and dark green in color. These leaves feature the most stunning white veining when they are young, which contrasts well with the dark foliage. The swelling central stem structure is where the flowers and seeds are generated. When the seeds are ready to be dispersed, the seedpods practically burst out and move away from the plant. One of those unusual and lovely plant pairings, the Euphorbia leuconeura is a stunning indoor plant that is also rather simple to manage.
Euphorbia meloformisThe Melon Spurge
This native South African dwarf succulent bears the common name Melon Spurge due to its spherical growth shape. Its spherical form includes eight conspicuous vertical stem borders, each of which is interspersed with vertical patterns that are frequently eye-catching. On each border of this specimen, which extends from the top to the base of the succulent, there are a few tiny, regularly spaced knobbles in place of spines. Over time, the top of the plant develops branching, brilliant green, slender stalks that carry little mustard-yellow flowers. I adore this species, especially their stunning stem markings and lovely structure. The stem colors come in a variety of shades, from aqua blue to a deeper shade of green. Each globe has a maximum diameter of 12 cm (4.7 inches), which makes it tiny and ideal for growing on that sunny, empty windowsill.
Euphorbia mammillariasIndian Corn Cob
The short-stemmed succulent Euphorbia mammallaris, which is native to the Cape Province of Southern Africa, develops into a viciously spined and tightly packed specimen plant. It has sturdy, upright stems with ribs that resemble corn on the cobs, despite being bright green in color. Vertical rows of tubercles are present on each stem, producing long pink and brown spines. Near the plant’s base, more branches with a similar shape develop horizontally and arch upward. Although it has few, short-lived, tiny, bright green leaves, it produces a single, yellow cyathia at the apex of each stem in late winter to early summer as flowers. A specimen plant with a powerful and unusual appearance that can grow as tall as 13.75 inches, or 35 cm. The variegated variety, often known as “variegata,” has gorgeous cream and emerald green stems that turn purple-pink when exposed to sunlight.
Euphorbia obesaBasketball Plant
Here is another of my personal favorites, a very popular succulent house plant that is native to the Cape Province in Southern Africa. The Euphorbia obesa has a nearly spherical shape and 810 vertical leaves that range in color from bluey-grey to green “rib edges with stitching. The little, exquisite succulent is known for its dark, complex lines that run horizontally from ridge to ridge on the spherical stem structure. The Euphorbia obesa is a little plant that grows to a height of about 7.87 inches (20 cm) and a diameter of only 3.5 inches (9 cm). The stems’ purple-red color intensifies in the sunlight and only enhances their “wonder. These are always unbranched, slow-growing, single-stemmed plants that only have two to three seeds in each seedpod. There are leaves, albeit very small ones, and very small scented green-yellow blossoms that are produced along the rib edges of the stems. Although they are widely cultivated in many botanical gardens and highly popular, over-collection has made these a natively endangered species.
Euphorbia neohumbertii
Here we have an erect succulent that is native to Madagascar and can reach heights of up to three feet, or 90 cm. Their four-sided, club-like stem structure has distinguishing patterns and rib borders that run vertically. A specimen with spines that are developed along the stem margins and are crowned on each stem by a tuft of sizable, deep green leaves with exquisite veining. Because it is a deciduous plant, its leaves fall off in the winter and are replaced with tiny scarlet-red blooms in the spring. It’s no wonder that this gorgeous house plant is becoming more and more popular; it’s the ideal specimen to add to your collection.
Euphorbia horridaAfrican Milk Barrel
If there was ever a Euphorbia species that resembled a cactus, this is it. The Euphorbia horrida is a shrub-like plant that is indigenous to the Cape Province of Southern Africa. This glaucous blue specimen plant, which can grow up to a height of about a meter and a half, or 4 feet 11 inches, has tall stems with ridges and multiple vertical rib edges with thorn-like spines. These spines, which can reach a length of 4 cm (1.6 inches), are actually the hard, dried remains of previous year’s flower stalks. The super succulent’s ribbed stem edges and tip are covered in small green-yellow flowers in the spring and summer. Undoubtedly one of the most well-liked and impactful specimens of succulent Euphorbia.
It has been challenging to choose a relatively modest number of beautiful Euphorbia species in an effort to highlight the diversity within such a large genus.
To properly understand this unique and botanically intriguing plant family, I hope I have encouraged the succulent-obsessed among you to learn more about euphorbias.
Licensed horticulturist with experience in the home and garden industry. Freelance writer.
Is Euphorbia a succulent or a cactus?
The plant genus Euphorbia (Euphorbia spp.) contains more than 2,000 species. Around 1,200 of them are succulents, some of which have odd shapes and broad, mushy leaves, while others remarkably resemble cactus and have spines. The genus’ plants are frequently referred to as spurge or euphorbia by growers.
With repeated additions and deletions of species and subgenera, Euphorbia is a somewhat ambiguous genus. The genus contains species that are annual, perennial, and biennial. There are species of herbaceous plants, woody shrubs, as well as deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The presence of a milky white sap in the plants is the defining trait among the species.
Most of the euphorbia species utilized for landscaping or as indoor plants are succulents with interesting forms and foliage, but a handful are also prized for their blooms. The poinsettia is one of the most well-known euphorbia species that is not a succulent.
The majority of euphorbias flower in the spring or summer and hibernate over the winter. Most species should be planted in the spring, when the risk of frost has gone, however houseplants can usually be started at any time. The growth rates of the species range from slowly to rather swiftly.
Euphorbia is poisonous to dogs, cats, and humans in all forms. Each plant species has a different amount of toxicity.
How is Euphorbia recognized?
- The perennial herbaceous plant known as leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) grows two to four feet tall.
- When damaged, stems, flowers, and leaves release a sap that is milky white.
Flowers
- Late in May, little, colorful, yellow-green bracts bloom.
- produces single, stemmed blooms from the leaf axils below that form umbrella-shaped flower clusters with seven to ten flowers at the top of each stalk.
- June till the end of the season for blooming.
Seeds
- A prominent seam runs down one side of this oval-elliptic shape, which is two to three millimeters long, pale to dark brown or yellow-brown, and has a fleshy appendage close to the stalk’s attachment.
- brown-mottled capsule with three lobes.
- High germination rate and explosive spread from a seed capsule up to 20 feet