Crown of Thorns plant (Euphorbia Milii)

[Device used: Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ-18; Gazipur, Dhaka, Bangladesh /2010]

A Crown of Thorns plant (Euphorbia milii), is a bushy slow growing Succulent Plant native to Madagascar.

The Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) is an evergreen succulent that produces colorful bracts of red, pink or orange colors around the mini flowers like the poinsettia, continuously. It’s named Crown of Thorns due to a legend that the Thorny Crown of Jesus was made from this plant’s stems.

The Crown of Thorns can reach a mature height of 5 feet. The thick stems are covered with one-inch long spines that are really sharp to touch. New plant growth has a few narrow, green leaves, but the leaves reduce in numbers as the stems age.

It is an ideal outdoor plant for tropical, seaside locations since the plant thrives in a salty environment. It also handles drought so well, perfect for dry regions with water scarcity.

The succulent plant blooms year-round in a warm climate. In cold climate, it flowers when the weather starts to warm up, usually from spring to fall. Bright, warm colored bracts appear on the top tips of the stems, surrounding tiny flowers.

Take cuttings from the new stems in early spring. Dip the cut end into warm water for 5 minutes to stop the sap from running. Place cut pieces of it on a paper towel and allow to dry for 3-4 days or until a callus forms over the cut end.

Fill sand in a container and moisten it. Place the calloused end of cuttings in the sand and set the container in a warm but shaded location for four weeks. Gently tug on the pieces at the end of 4 weeks. If you feel resistance, they are ready to be re-potted into a permanent container. If the pieces lift out of the sand with no resistance, they have not developed a sustainable root system and needed to spend a couple more weeks in the sand.

An alternative and straightforward method for the crown of thorns propagation is–Dip the cuttings in rooting hormone and plant them directly in potting mix. Keep the plant in a bright and warm location that is shaded. [1]

The plant grows well if placed under direct bright light in areas with cooler summers. In the regions governed by scorching, summer weather, set the plant in areas with good afternoon shade to avoid withering.

In the autumn, remove old branches with most of its leaves withered. This will stimulate more new growth when springtime arrives. [2]