Spurge

The spurge family. Native to the subtropics of Africa, the Americas, and Madagascar. This large family of succulent plants includes about 2000 species. Many of its members reach very large sizes and therefore are not suitable for cultivation in home conditions.

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima - or poinsettia - has been called the Bethlehem Star because it blooms colorfully at Christmas. It has bright green, tender large leaves; the leaves located below the inflorescences in some cultivars are bright red, in others pink or white; the flowers themselves are small and inconspicuous. This Euphorbia needs a sunny position, but in summer it will need shading during the hottest hours. The winter minimum temperature for poinsettia is 8°C. In summer it is regularly misted. When repotting, the poinsettia is pruned by almost half the length of its branches. Poinsettias are usually grown as annuals and discarded after flowering, since this spurge is very difficult to keep at home during winter. When the heating season begins, if the indoor air is too dry it drops its leaves and loses its decorative appeal. In addition, poinsettia tolerates drafts and sharp temperature changes very poorly.

Crown of Thorns - Euphorbia milii - also called the thorny crown - is a small thorny shrub with stout grayish stems and bright green, elongated leaves. The flowers are very small and yellowish; the bracts are bright red and are often mistaken for the true flowers. This Euphorbia needs maximum sunlight in summer, crown shaping by pruning, and cool winter conditions at about 13°C. Euphorbia milii is planted in heavier, more clayey soil than other species. Another name for this species is Euphorbia splendens.

Pencil tree - Euphorbia tirucalli - a succulent, very bushy plant that looks like many fleshy sticks—stems the thickness of a pencil. It has neither leaves nor spines. It blooms abundantly with small yellow flowers.

Temperature: Moderate. In summer they are kept at 20-25°C. In winter a dormancy period at about 16°C, minimum 10-12°C.

Light: Bright light both in winter and summer. Spurges like lots of light, but they should be acclimated to direct sun in spring and summer gradually to avoid sunburn. The best location for a spurge is a windowsill of a south or southeast window. Make sure there is sufficient light in winter.

Watering: Moderate in spring and summer, about twice a week; reduced from autumn, and very infrequent in winter if kept cool. Succulent species, for example, are watered about once a month in winter. Water should be soft and at room temperature. During growth and flowering the soil for spurges should not dry out completely.

Fertilizer: During growth and flowering they are fed with a special houseplant fertilizer every two weeks. For flowering spurges use potassium-rich fertilizers; for non-flowering species cactus fertilizers can be used.

Air humidity: Spurges tolerate dry air, but regular misting with warm water is very beneficial.

Repotting: Soil: 1 part garden soil, 1 part leaf mold, 1 part peat soil, 1 part sand and brick chips. Young plants are repotted annually or every other year, older ones every two to three years.

Propagation: By cuttings; they are dried in the open air, and cuts on the mother plant are dusted with crushed charcoal. By seeds.