Euphorbia Species, Hybrids, Crown of Thorns, Christ Plant, Siamese Lucky Plant, Corona de Cristo

On Jul 13, 2020, Babsalot from Oak Ridge, TN (Zone 9a) wrote:

It took me a long time to figure this plant out and it's been on death's door and back many times so I can attest to it being a hardy plant that wants to live. It's now one of my favorite plants because it is a beautiful and unique looking plant. I also feel invested in it because at one point it had like 4 leaves across 6 stems and now it is lush and happy.
Wanna know what color my plant blooms? Me too. My plant has not once bloomed, wasn't in bloom when I bought it last may either so idk. It's suppose to bloom all year and repeatedly. I'm hoping now that my plant is healthy it will reward me.
So if anyone has trouble with this plant (I know everything I read told me how easy it was but sometimes I think people just fill in generic succulent care instructions assuming it's ... read moreall the same), a few simple things I figured out made the difference for me. First whoever says this plant doesn't need watered often is the reason I let my soil dry out between waterings like typical succulent care. It's part of the reason I wasn't having luck with it. I have it potted in a Terra cotta pot and I water my plant every 3 days or so thoroughly. It guzzles water and prefers to not dry out. I don't even check the soil anymore before watering because it wants the water. It grows so fast and maybe that's why it's always thirsty. Mine sits on my front porch and gets full morning sun for about 4 to 6 hours and loves it. In the winter in comes in to my plant room under the grow lights. I've also had in my bedroom window with full evening sun and it's been in my living room window in partial sun. It's done fine anywhere I've put it lighting wise but I think it is at its greenest and prettiest when it gets full morning sun. I've never propagated my plant because it hasn't needed it but it's to a point it does so it will be my first attempt at it. I don't wear gloves when messing with euphorbia plants (I have others) because I don't like them but I always take a clean cloth and wrap it around the section I am working on so the sap doesn't drip on me. I've never gotten it on me.
All in all I tell everyone they need a crown of thorns but they think I am joking. I go with that instead of telling them it's a plant lol.

On Jul 29, 2014, mskasik from New Braunfels, TX wrote:

New Braunfels, Texas is in Zone 8a/8b. The Crown of Thorns stays outside all spring, summer and fall. I shelter the plant on a west-facing, protected porch for the winter and put up a frost cloth when it gets to about 35 degrees. Cuttings root easily. Let the plant heal over several days before placing the cutting in the ground. We have an anole (green lizard) that sleeps on the tallest spike every night and laps up the nectar in the flowers. I water it once a week and it get full sun most of the afternoon.

On May 9, 2013, frostycat from Visalia, CA wrote:

I live in an area of low humidity with average annual temps from 28 to 110 degrees (F), zone 8. I've been growing two varieties of Crown of Thorns for 7 years (the largest plant is 4ft tall). The winters are too cold outside for the CofT's, luckily I have the window space to accommodate them during the coldest months.
Nearly every time I've brought them in for the Winter these plants suddenly lose half of their leaves, but grow them back soon... perhaps this is some sort of stress response to the change in environment, it doesn't seem to really hurt them.
Even though these plants are not frost tolerant, I've found that they only seem to bloom well if I put them out in the Spring early enough to experience about a half-dozen cool nights (e.g. In the mid-to-low 40's[F.]... read more).

On Nov 5, 2011, sharonjean42 from Albemarle, NC (Zone 7a) wrote:

I live in NC zone 7. My COTs are outside in sun all summer.
I put them in my greenhouse which is heated to 50* at night. I have 116 of them, yes 116 and still look for any I don't have. I am a COT and Christmas/Easter cactus addict. I love them. They are blooming like crazy 11/5/11, it gets hot in greenhouse from the sun, sometimes I have to open the door and run a fan when it gets to hot.
Some of my Christmas Cactus are also blooming and getting buds. I put them on my carport out of direct sun all summer and up until frost warning so the will bud. I have them in my laundry room now that I heat only to 40*. I have started bringing a few at a time in so I will have a long flower season.
I do trade so email me what you are looking for or for pictures.
I need to l... read moreearn how to put pictures on here.

On Jan 30, 2011, sunkissed from Winter Springs, FL (Zone 9b) wrote:

This says cold hardy to 25 degrees, not in Central FL zone 9B. They will not come back if temperatures dip into the twenties for any more than a few hours. I've lost any that were in the ground. I now keep them in a huge planter pot and if the temperatures are going below freezing I put them inside the porch. Last year I had four potted plants and put them inside my shed, two nights with temperatures down to mid twenties for more than four hours still killed two of them. So the two I have left go inside when it is going below 37. Mine are all from rootings off my father's plants, they are very easy to propagate from stem clippings. They can grow in shade but won't bloom like they do in sunlight, but I've seen the leaves burn in too much sun. Morning sun and afternoon shade is the best. Don... read more't need very much water once established.

On Dec 17, 2010, babs4 from Newport News,
United States wrote:

I love my crown of thorns. Purchased it 7 years ago as a baby-all of 5 inches tall. It's now over three-1/2 feet tall. Full of red flowers which bloom all year round. Just brought it inside for the winter...dropping a few leaves which is typical until it adjusts. Everyone who sees it cannot get over how healthy and full it is, not to mention its size. Couldn't be happier...just glad to hear it will max out around six feet. Getting it in and out of the florida room is a bit of a challenge.
I water it when I think about it, but I do make sure it gets plenty of sun. Once spring rolls around it'll go back out on the deck.

On Jun 27, 2010, ShelbyInOz from Brisbane,
Australia wrote:

When we bought our home 5 years ago, there was an empty little garden just outside my bathroom window. Everything I planted in it died after a short while... Then I discovered my cat was using the garden as his personal outdoor litter box. Solution = Two Crown of Thorns (one yellow, one red). Kitty doesn't like them, so stays out of the garden. They are hardy and attractive, and flower most of the time... so make attractive viewing from the window! They forgive you if you forget to water them.. but are occasionally troubled by grubs (a quick spray and we are good for another 6 months). Easily propagated from cuttings. All in all, a lot to love about this plant. Two thumbs up :)

On May 19, 2010, hollyjay from Carrboro, NC wrote:

I have had this plant for 10+ years and for about half of that time it was neglected and/or not in full sun. It always bounces back, and has been blooming year round for 5 years now in a good window. We remodeled and had to move it, but it is not flowering now and has to go outside. I live in North Carolina.

On Dec 29, 2009, Dolphinskye from Waianae, HI wrote:

This plant brightens up my patio which has half a day of shade then blazing sun and occassional salty breeze. Owners in the building complain how difficult it is to keep any plant alive on their patio. With now a few cultivars of euphorbia on my patio, a pot of aloe vera, even my cattleya orchids can now grow well next to this protective euphoric color display.

On Jun 23, 2009, CabinHillGifts from Goldendale, WA wrote:

The most beautiful and easy to grow indoor house plants I have ever had the joy of owning. I have always had it inside due to the extreme cold, extreme hot and extreme winds in my area and kept the children well away from it. This year I put it outside still in its inside pot. The wind ripped the beautiful flowers off right away and the big green leaves started to curl. Hubby looked at it one day when I was not around and thought it was dry so he watered it again. I later explained to him it was not dry but getting wind blown badly in the spot it was sitting, so he got the hand truck and moved it to another spot. Here is when we noticed the problem. When it was in the first location, some deer must have nibbled on the leaves, because some of them seem to have been snapped off next to but... read more not close to the trunk. I thought the wind had blown off the flowers, now I saw the deer ate them off. SO, how poisonous is this plant? Will I find deer a short distance from my home laying on the ground in a deadly state. Or will they just have the diarrhea for a while. This is serious and I would like a comment from someone that knows what part of this plant is poisonous and how poisonous it is to deer, chickens ect? Yes, we have since moved it to a fenced in area.

On Oct 4, 2005, Carren from Cave Creek, AZ wrote:

I have two of these plants. Both are outside, full sun and in a terracotta pot. I placed a 3" plastic PVC pipe with holes in it, in the center of pot and planted around it. I water using a drip system which drips in the center of the PVC pipe. When our temps reach 110 - 115, I fill this pipe to the top, once a week. They are beautiful, full and lush with many flowers.

On Aug 21, 2004, beverlyf from Weimar, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:

I am a beginner with this plant. Right now, I am not doing good. I have it indoors and in a north window. It does not get direct sun. All the blooms are gone and some of the leaves are dying. Help! Do I need to get it to a sunny window? or what?

On Jul 27, 2004, CatskillKarma from West Kill, NY wrote:

My husband has had a crown of thorns for more than the twenty years I've known him. He stakes his upright, but the ones I've seen at the Brooklyn Botanical garden are allowed to drape down a ledge. We keep it as a houseplant in a window with a half day of sun and it is perfectly happy. His flowers in intermittent bursts that appear seasonal. It is a slow grower, but has lasted longer than any other houseplant I have known.

On Jul 9, 2004, msgrnthumb1 from Federalsburg, MD wrote:

I have had my plant now for abour 4 years. My grand mother rooted it for me from her plant, and I have since rooted 3 babies from mine. The mother plant stands about 2 and one half feet tall, but only about 6 inches wide. It is so long I had to put a stake in the pot and tie the plant to it so it would stand. Is this common?

On Jun 28, 2004, hanna1 from Castro Valley, CA (Zone 9a) wrote:

I planted one in Carbon Canyon Ca, 91709, My soil was very alkyline. I watered it rarely, it grew fairly fast to a hight of 4ft and as wide. My parents had 2 in Anaheim, Ca 92802, sandy soil, and was rarely watered there, in 40 years it still stands at 6ft.

On Mar 14, 2004, organist from Buffalo, NY wrote:

I have two of these plants that have been house plants for about 30 years. One of them even seeded a new one for me. They are now in church, with a few cactus, as part of a Lenten display; very effective.

On Aug 5, 2003, nipajo from Dallas, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:

I have two plants both in pots in the full sun outside. I have not seen any flowers, and the leaves are losing color they are not as green as when I had them in the house. I do not over-water but I must be doing something wrong. I live in Dallas so the heat is pretty intense.

On Jan 14, 2003, kalina wrote:

it is also possible to grow these from root cuttings

On Nov 11, 2002, HSteinway wrote:

In order to correctly cut this plant for propagation:

1. use a sharp clipper and cut about 6 inches back from the meristem (point of growth).

2. The plant will bleed a white latex-like substance, it is poisonous so do not touch it.

3. Allow cuttings to dry for roughly 3 days before planting. A rooting hormone will help significantly.

4. Do not lose hope, eventually your cuttings will root.