The beautiful, euphorbia name has another, more commonly used synonym - euphorbia (Euphorbia). Various sources indicate that from 800 to 2000 species belong to this genus. In horticultural culture, annual and perennial grasses, as well as shrubs, are cultivated.
Common Euphorbia Flower Species
The principle of selecting plants for cultivation in a garden or pot culture is ease of care, as well as adaptability to the climatic zones of the country. Among the many varieties of milkweed - a typical resident of the subtropics - for each house there are many beautiful representatives. Euphorbia care at home requires the simplest, for which it is loved by flower growers.
Euphorbia Lactea F. Cristata
Important! Almost all milkweed secrete milky (similar to milk) juice, which is more or less poisonous. Work with euphorbia should be in gloves to avoid burns on the skin and irritation.
Euphorbia Kristata
It is a representative of a larger species - euphorbia lacteya (Euphorbia Lactea F. Cristata). Homeland - Asian tropics. It is prone to mutations and the appearance of rudiments, so the appearance is quite variable. Almost always on sale is presented in the form of a scion on other succulents.
There are two types of Cristata's euphorbia that are distinguished: ordinary, which can live in a pot by itself, and chlorophyll-free (Cristata F. Variegata) - it requires a graft. It is quite difficult to describe the shape of the plant, because it is always very bizarre and sometimes varies greatly under the influence of the scion. Most often resembles a scallop or coral. The graft is usually a viable euphorbia of a ribbed columnar shape with a height of about 5 cm or a little more. Flowering is possible, but extremely rare.
Euphorbia Marginata
Popular names - euphorbia bordered and mountain snow. Poisonous annual with straight densely leafy stems 60-80 cm high. Oval leaf and shoots of silver-green hue. By the time of flowering, a white border appears along the edge of the leaves. By the beginning of summer, small white, plain flowers bloom. The plant is valued for its beautiful crown, contrasting favorably with other plants.
Euphorbia marginata
A very unpretentious plant is grown in gardens on flower beds and on window sills. The optimum temperature is 22-24 ° C. Prefers loose nutrient soil with low acidity. Well perceives pinching and pruning, driving out new side shoots. This euphorbia is propagated by seeds and cuttings.
Euphorbia Decary
A short succulent with beautiful wavy leaves with a zigzag edge native to Africa and Madagascar. It captures new territories, spreading with the help of creeping roots, partially protruding above the surface of the soil. A thick juicy stalk is formed spirally, on the top of it has a leafy outlet. The leaf is green, but may take on a reddish color. Inflorescences in appearance resemble bells of a beige hue.
Euphorbia decaryi
This species is grown mainly as an ornamental potted culture. Undemanding in care, grows rather slowly. Prefers dim dim lighting. In summer, the optimum temperature is 25 ° C, and in winter about 15 ° C. Easy to spread by seeds, can be cut.
Various popular euphorbia species are so different from each other that sometimes, in addition to the ability to secrete milky juice, it is difficult to see other common signs.
Euphorbia Obesa
The second name is fat spurge. A small perennial euphorbia, very similar in appearance to a cactus. The shape of the stem is spherical green-brown in color with eight distinct segments. Stripes of red-brown or pale violet, located across. It has no thorns and leaves, and if the rudimentary leaves nevertheless grow, they quickly wither and fall, leaving cones on the ribs. On top of it, weirdly looking spherical branches can grow. It can be extended up to 30 cm in height, and up to 10 cm in diameter, acquiring an elliptical shape.
Euphorbia obesa
For your information! This euphorbia is bisexual. In summer expels branched pedicels at the crown. Calyx flowers are only 3 mm in diameter. You can catch a subtle aroma. Fruits - triangular trihedra with a diameter of up to 7 mm. After ripening, the fruit explodes, scattering seeds around, which are round (up to 2 mm in diameter) balls of speckled gray. After this, the peduncle completely dries up and disappears.
Euphorbia Enopla
Perennial dioecious shrub succulent native to South Africa. The crown of this euphorbia from the base strongly branches, reaching a height of no more than 1 m. Elongated cylindrical ribbed (6-8 ribs) thick (up to 3 cm across) saturated green shoots grow up to 30 cm in length. Along the ribs are covered with thick long red spikes, which gives the plant an elegant look. May have tiny vestigial leaflets. Tiny leafless green-yellow inflorescences on thin legs in the apical part of shoots are male and female. After ripening, the fruit takes the form of a ball with seeds inside. It feels great on window sills, but needs a dry, light and cool wintering (temperature 4 ° C).
Euphorbia enopla
Euphorbia Gabizan
An interesting and rather rare succulent grown only in pots. The young stem, stretching up to 30 cm in height, looks like a green pineapple with a similar tuft of long flat rounded green leaves at the ends. The "bumps" on its surface are devoid of thorns. As the barrel ages, it turns brown and woody. Propagated by shoots growing on the main trunk, or by seed.
Euphorbia gabizan
Euphorbia Ingens
The dioecious euphorbia is better known as the euphorbia, great or similar, the true legend of the savannah. "Ingens" in Latin means - "huge". Depending on the conditions of detention, it is able to stretch in height from 15 cm to 2 m and even more, taking the form of a sprawling tree or bush. 5-ribbed cylindrical shoots extend from the trunk, giving the crown a shape similar to a candelabrum.
Euphorbia Ingens (Similis)
It is ubiquitous in all arid and semi-desert territories of Africa. It can grow on rocky formations and for a long time completely dispense with water. Shoots along the ribs have spines and small leaves, which eventually dry out and fall off. Shoots grow randomly from the kidneys on the ribs. Pinching the tops only stimulates this process. It blooms typical for milkweed, leafless tiny yellow flowers with a pleasant aroma. With age, the central trunk becomes woody. Milky juice is very toxic, and if it gets into your eyes, it can cause serious burns.
Euphorbia Martini
Ornamental perennial grown in gardens. Resistant to drought and the first autumn frost. It can be up to 50 cm high. Elongated leaves combine shades of green, light green, silver, yellow and even pink.
Note! The cooler the weather, the brighter the euphorbia becomes. Blooms in summer with plain green flowers.
Euphorbia Martinii (Ascot Rainbow)
Euphorbia Diamond Frost
The name "diamond frost" is not given to this euphorbia. It is a hybrid of Euphorbia Hypericifolia. On sale appeared in 2004. A lush bush of thin green shoots looks great in hanging flower pots. It blooms continuously from spring to autumn with small white flowers. Prefers good lighting and regular watering, but tolerates drought well. It independently takes the form of a lush rounded bush, but at will it can be formed as desired. Contain a plant at a temperature of 5 ° C to 25 ° C. Easily propagated by division of the bush and cuttings.
Euphorbia diamond frost
Euphorbia Akrurensis
It has other names - Abyssinian (Acrurensis), Eretria (Erythraeae). Perennial tree succulent native to Africa. Outwardly resembles Ingens euphorbia, but its ribs (from 4 to 8) are flatter and wider, wavy in shape with pronounced transverse veins. It grows on dry and stony soils, as well as in rocks. It is 4.5–9 m high. Numerous paired sharp spikes are found on the ribs. If the weather is warm and humid, it is covered with delicate green leaves. In Russia, it is cultivated as a potted culture.
Euphorbia acrurensis
Euphorbia Trigon
Triangular or trihedral euphorbia, taking the form of a tree or shrub. The main trunk can be up to 6 cm in diameter. Dissected branches up to 20 cm in length. The color is dark green with whitish strokes. Old plants and bases are woody. The spines on the ribs are reddish-brown, hard with the tips bent down. Fleshy leaves up to 5 cm long are green and red. In pots it grows very quickly and is very unpretentious, both to the composition of the soil and to the lighting.
Euphorbia trigona
Euphorbia Japanese
Available for sale under the name Euphorbia cv. Cocklebur, being a hybrid of two euphorbia - Euphorbia Susannae and Bupleurifolia. The thick root passes into the terrestrial caudex. It looks very similar to pineapple, like euphorbia Gabizan, but with an originally brown stem, and a tuft of long leaves is green with lighter spots or stains. It grows very slowly. The optimum temperature is 20-24 ° C, does not tolerate waterlogging. Feels good in diffused lighting. Propagate it with apical cuttings.
Euphorbia japonica
Euphorbia flower: home care
Having got any milkweed at home, you won’t have to pay much attention to them. Most will calmly endure even several months of complete oblivion, especially adult plants. Pests rarely infect it, because the juice is poisonous.
Lighting
The brighter the sun, the more colorful the milkweed gets. But in general, diffused bright lighting is quite suitable for them. It is not necessary to place containers or pots on window sills. Any free area near the windows will suit them.
Note! The plant will respond to a lack of light by stretching the shoots. If there are green leaves, then they will begin to fade and crumble.
Temperature
All year round they can be left in the same place at an even temperature in the range of 20-24 ° C. Lowering to 15 ° C and increasing even to 34 ° C they will suffer without noticeable damage to the appearance. The main thing is to avoid overmoistening of the soil with temperature differences, since this greatly undermines the immunity of the succulent. Most species require a cool wintering to stimulate flowering. The mode needs to be clarified, as some species can withstand a decrease of up to 5 ° C, while others can die at 10 ° C.
Soil and watering euphorbia
If we compare euphorbia with other succulents, cacti, then there are no fundamental differences in the choice of soil for them. The soil should be poor in nutrients, loose (even loose) with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Under natural conditions, milkweed grows in savannahs and semi-deserts, on rocks, on rocky plains.
Pots with milkweed are watered when an earthen lump dries to the bottom. In the summer 1-2 times a week, in the winter enough 1-2 times a month. Succulents will survive the lack of moisture easily, and from constantly wet soil they easily rot and die. The first alarming symptom is the dropping of the crown of the leaves or on the side ribs.
Fertilizers for flower
Top dressing is carried out only in the warm season. A complex mineral fertilizer for succulents or cacti is suitable. The dosage is halved by the drug recommended by the manufacturer. The frequency of top dressing is 1 time in 1-2 months, depending on age. The older the plant, the less often it requires fertilizer.
Euphorbia flower propagation methods
On sale you can find milkweed seeds. It makes sense to buy them and use them for sowing. Germination in most species is excellent, but only if fresh. Usually, the first year the germination rate is up to 99%, and in the second year it drops by 2-3 times. Where more often they are propagated by cuttings or by dividing the bush.
Cuttings
Ribbed milkweed cuttings are obtained by separating the shoots and cutting off the apex. The separated part of the plant is left to dry until the milky juice ceases to stand out, and the slice is glued together with a rubber-like substance. After that, the shoot or crown is immersed 1-2 cm into the prepared soil and covered with a transparent cap from a cut plastic bottle, glass jar or ordinary plastic bag.
It usually takes 2-4 weeks to root. The process is not worth disturbing at this time, they only open the hood once a day to ventilate. If the humidity in the room is above 60%, then you can freely do without a greenhouse. Watering is carried out by spraying the soil when it dries well. Good turgor is the main symptom of excellent rooting.
Note! If the shoot does not take root, then it will begin to wither, turn yellow, rot, look after such a thing, it makes no sense, it is better to repeat the procedure with another handle.
Bush division
Having an adult plant with several shoots, you can divide it into several parts. To do this, remove the succulent from the pot, gently shake it so that the earth crumbles from the roots.
Important! Getting rid of old soil by washing and soaking the roots in a basin of water is highly discouraged.
With a sharp tool, if required, the euphorbia is cut into several parts in the root area. Some forms are easily divided without parts. Each segment is planted in a new container. The pot is selected according to the rule: the width is 2-3 times greater than the height. But the bottom is filled with coarse gravel or broken bricks, not only for drainage, but also for weighting, because otherwise the stability will be too poor.
Despite the fact that the euphorbia does not have lush, bright and fragrant flowers, they enjoy the great love of gardeners. The reason is not only the incomparable unpretentiousness of the euphorbia plant, but also in a wonderful contrast with other popular indoor plants.
