Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)

It is less than fun to weed around a Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) since they are covered in fairly sharp spines and can basically be described as a thorn bush with flowers. However, they do have a payoff when they bloom.

This otherwise angry looking woody succulent can grow to six feet in height and has fairly remarkable blooms. Soft gradients of color from pink to green can be found in our winter-time gardens.

Other bushes have brilliant scarlet or yellow blooms marred with spots of blushing pinks. In a landscape that is mostly fallow, they really pop with color and a closer look is really worth the effort to appreciate the subtle beauty of these flowers.

However, I cannot reccomend touching this plant in any way since it is covered in spines and, when broken, a white sap of latex weeps from the branches and can cause some pretty hefty skin issues. I suggest enjoying this plant at a distance of a few feet.

From the OCC Biology Department:

Euphorbia - Euphorbus was the Greek physician of King Juba II (about 50 BC to 19 AD) of Numidia (present day Algeria). King Juba II was the first person to find a succulent-type Euphorbia, and he named it after his physician.

Milii - named for Baron Milius, once governor of the island of Bourbon, who introduced the species into cultivation in France in 1821.