Crown of Thorns
Many, I know, will acidly quote, “each to his taste,” at my choice of favorite house plant, but let them show me another plant that can stand such abuse and return such beauty and character of form, color and interest as this vegetable “barbed wire” – crown of thorns, Euphorbia aplendens.
Brought in 1830 from Madagascar to Mauritius, and thence distributed to Britain and the United States, it is found mentioned in American floral magazines soon after the Civil War. Today in dish gardens and on dime store counters among succulent and euphorbia fanciers, it is widely distributed ? generally not well grown.
Rugged Beauty in Its Form
This plant, like so many succulents needs rich, moist soil, plus sizzling sunshine to thrive. In form we find it in any number of fancied arrangements of thorny branches including wreath, candlestick and hollow sphere, with or without leafy tips, producing at any time its clusters of vigorous red “flowers” at the tips, with or without leaves. Like the euphorbias of the E. neriifolia type, leaves mean little to this plant, and are shed to adjust evaporation or in some periodic scheme known only to itself.
Methods of Propagation
Propagation is by well sunned cutting, or by seed, the latter seeming to produce club-shaped growth, with a tendency to make vigorous horizontal branches. A writer of apparent experience advises topping to induce branching, but a rich, alkaline soil, with some brick dust (one writer says use a soft burned pot) and ample water, heat, sunshine and occasional liquid feeding, should give heavy growth, branching and increasing numbers of flowers in the curious compound umbels – a mathematician’s demonstration of two to the n’th power. I know of only one venerable specimen that can demonstrate up to the fourth power, with 16 flowers per cluster – a magnificent patch of color.
With a porous rock footing, this plant can survive on water and a little soluble fertilizer, with a tendency to lose its leaves then start growth again by flowering.
I am a little disappointed that this sun-loving toughie is not an American aborigine, but I think that since we love our sunshine and steam heat, we can very profitably adopt it as our own.
V Greiff, N.Y.
