{"id":9911,"date":"2017-08-30T12:00:09","date_gmt":"2017-08-30T16:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/?p=9911"},"modified":"2017-08-25T17:50:56","modified_gmt":"2017-08-25T21:50:56","slug":"crown-of-thorns-is-a-versatile-plant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/2017\/08\/30\/crown-of-thorns-is-a-versatile-plant\/","title":{"rendered":"Crown Of Thorns Is A Versatile Plant"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii<\/em>)<\/p><\/div>\n

Crown of Thorns plant (Euphorbia milii<\/em>)\u00a0<\/em>is a thorny slow growing succulent native to Madagascar (USDA hardiness zones 9-11). In colder regions of the U.S., it is an easy- care\u00a0flowering houseplant that seems to thrive on neglect. It blooms almost\u00a0year-round. Outside, in a garden setting, it blooms nonstop from spring thru mid-fall here in the Mid-South (Zone 6-7).<\/p>\n

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Container grown Crown of Thorns at Biltmore Estates, Asheville, NC.<\/p><\/div>\n

Plant may reach 3 feet in height and 2 feet in width. Sharp spines about 1 inch long cover the stems. Clusters of narrow bright green leaves are sparsely arranged and last only a few months. The thick stems store water, making the plant exceptionally drought-resistant.<\/p>\n

The cactus -like plant blooms from spring into late summer, producing tiny, true flowers held in two brightly colored fused bracts that\u00a0surround small flowers. Floral colors range\u00a0from red , pink, salmon, yellow, and creamy white. \u00a0Crown of thorns is easy to propagate from softwood stem cuttings.<\/p>\n

Crown of thorns grows in the poorest soil provided it is well-drained It prefers a location in full sun but will tolerate some shade for a portion of the day. It is resistant to salt spray. As an indoor houseplant, set in a south- or west-facing window. Water thoroughly and sparingly. Feed every 2-3 months with fertilizers such as Miracle-Gro\u00ae or Schultz\u00ae.\u00a0Lightly prune the plant for shaping. Remove some older, leafless branches to stimulate new growth in spring.<\/p>\n

Crown of thorns is deer-resistant. These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children.<\/p>\n

Cultivars<\/strong>: Newer cultivars feature fuller plants, brighter colors, bigger leaves and flowers than the old-fashioned varieties.<\/p>\n

\u2018American Beauty\u2019- showy, scarlet-red bracts; also orange, pink, white or yellow bracted cvs.<\/p>\n

‘Short and Sweet’ – red-flowered, dwarf variety that only reaches a height of 12 to 18 inches.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia Hybrids\u201d exhibit\u00a0unusually stout stems and larger \u00a0colorful floral bracts.These\u00a0“giant crown of thorns” include cultivars: \u2018Rosalie\u2019, \u2018Vulcanus\u2019 and \u2018Saturnus\u2019.<\/p>\n

“Thai Hybrids” –\u00a0large leaves and flowers on small 2-3 foot high plants; Karolla struts glossy bright green leaves, brilliant red blooms; Karolla and small types only 1 to 2 feet tall.<\/p>\n

According to legend, a Crown of Thorns Plant got its nickname after it was associated with the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus. Under ideal conditions, a Crown of Thorns. Like a Poinsettia, it is a member of Euphorbia family. It has bracted flowers and milky sap.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Crown of Thorns plant (Euphorbia milii)\u00a0is a thorny slow growing succulent native to Madagascar (USDA hardiness zones 9-11). In colder regions of the U.S., it is an easy- care\u00a0flowering houseplant that seems to thrive on neglect. It blooms almost\u00a0year-round. Outside, in a garden setting, it blooms nonstop from spring thru mid-fall here in the Mid-South […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[444,1319,1037,1424,778,674,806,665,1289,774,637,853,843,847,1060,601,729,777,630,646,756,113,455],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9911"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9911"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9923,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9911\/revisions\/9923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}