Crown of Thorns

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) This is one of my favorite houseplants! It has not stopped blooming since I brought it home more than a year ago. Crown of Thorns is an easy houseguest, it requires little food (fertilize a few times a year) and is very drought-tolerant.  Site it in a bright sunny area and watch the lovely pink, red, yellow or white flowers blossom away.  As with many specimens in the Euphorbia family, cut stems ooze a white, milky sap that may cause skin irritation. Also, all parts of this plant are poisonous, so if you have two or four-footed family members that like noshing on leaves, think again. Crown of Thorns has thick, thorny stems.  In warmer climates it is grown as a garden plant and can reach 3’.  If pruning is needed to maintain shape or size (as a garden plant or houseplant), it’s best done in spring. The name, Crown of Thorns, came about from a legend that the crown of thorns worn by Christ at His crucifixion was made from the stems of this plant.