To date, well over 2,000 plant species have been discovered worldwide, which belong to the huge genus Euphorbia. In German-speaking countries, many common names for its representatives refer to the milky plant sap, which in most cases is not exactly non-toxic.
Which Euphorbia species are popular as houseplants?
Euphorbia species are diverse and can be herbaceous, woody, annual or perennial. Popular representatives as houseplants are Euphorbia trigona, pulcherrima, milii, leuconeura and tirucalli. Care requires a bright location, sparing watering and caution when handling the poisonous plant sap.
Basic characteristics of milkweed species
This plant genus is anything but uniform, as euphorbias are often:
- growing herbaceous or woody into shrubs and trees
- annual or perennial
- have alternate, opposite or whorled leaves
- are thorny or unarmored
Around half of all Euphorbia species get by with very little rainfall or irrigation, which is known in technical language as “xerophytic”. Plant species of the Euphorbia genus are often succulent and, like the easy-to-propagate pencil bush, have thick-fleshed branches on which small-sized leaves can only be discovered in new growth. All types of spurge require a certain amount of care when caring for them, as when pruned the toxic milky sap that irritates the skin immediately comes out.
Prominent representatives among houseplants
Since most Euphorbia species come from tropical or subtropical regions, they are usually only cultivated in this country as houseplants or sometimes as container plants with a summer outdoor season. Particularly prominent representatives of the genus are, for example:
- The triangular spurge (Euphorbia trigona)
- the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
- the Christ thorn (Euphorbia milii)
- the spit palm (Euphorbia leuconeura)
- the pencil bush (Euphorbia tirucalli)
Care instructions for common species of Euphorbia
Most euphorbias prefer a bright, if not full sun location. Since these are mostly succulent plants, care should be taken to ensure particularly cautious watering when caring for them. During the winter months, the respective location should be frost-free, but the temperature should be slightly cooler. In addition, the euphorbias are kept drier than usual during this rest phase.
Tip
The toxic effects of the milky latex plant sap of euphorbias should not be underestimated. For all types of spurge, cutting measures should only be carried out with protective gloves and with particular caution. Since harmful effects are even possible through the air we breathe, larger specimens should only be cut in the greenhouse if there is sufficient ventilation.
