You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
Category: Perennials Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Height: 6-12 in. (15-30 cm) 12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
Spacing: 12-15 in. (30-38 cm) 15-18 in. (38-45 cm)
Hardiness: USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun Sun to Partial Shade
Danger: Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Bloom Color: Rose/Mauve Red
Bloom Time: Blooms all year Blooms repeatedly
Foliage: Grown for foliage Evergreen
Other details: This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
On Apr 17, 2006, catpfaus from Fort Collins, CO wrote:
This plant grows well indoors in a sunny location. Very easy to care for even when neglected. My in-laws have given everyone they know cuttings. Everyone says that this is one plant that even those with "black" thumbs can grow. We do live in Colorado so I haven't yet tried to grow outdoors year round but do believe it might be able to handle mild winters outside.
On Apr 4, 2004, secnarfremlap from Orlando, FL wrote:
We have grown "Crown of Thorns" almost continuously in pots in our Orlando garden; we prune heavily every 3-4 years as the plant gets too high/wide for the pots. When we moved to new pots, after about 10 years, found that the soil/earth had almost disappeared and the roots were all that remained. We also fertilized 3-4 times a year. We have an automatic sprinkling system for the yard/garden, which seemed to supply sufficient water.
The pots originally were set around a fountain on concrete circles in full sun when we first moved to Orlando; with passage of time, trees growing, etc. plants still grew and flowered in partial shade.
However, in the last few years (plants now approx. 18 yrs. old) the shade became too much and the flowers started to disappear. When moved to a more sunny/partial sun spot, the plant went back to full bloom.
My husband just cuts back and plunges the cuttings into potting soil and forgets them. We have given many friends these pottings for their gardens.
We did try a couple directly in ground - there the plants acted more vine-like and leggy, and grew apace - and consequently the blooms, which are very small, lost their show.
blooms all year, although not quite so fulsome during winter months, but still gives an Orlando winter garden wonderful color.
only recently found the sap is poisonous - but with heavy gloves (thorns!) the plant has been handled for pruning and change of pots. Wear old clothes, sap does NOT wash out!
Regional...
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
, Jones, Alabama Elk Grove, California Oceanside, California Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Myers, Florida Gainesville, Florida Gulf Breeze, Florida Lutz, Florida Marco Island, Florida New Smyrna Beach, Florida Palm Harbor, Florida Rockledge, Florida Sarasota, Florida Sun City Center, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida Brooklyn, New York Swisshome, Oregon West Linn, Oregon Middleton, Tennessee Corpus Christi, Texas Fort Worth, Texas Houston, Texas San Antonio, Texas (2 reports)