Last year I went to a nursery with a friend who was looking for a “Crown of Thorns” – Euphorbia milii. Even though I wasn’t interested in Euphorbia, I’m almost always interested in a nursery visit. And clearly, I developed enough interest in Euphorbia to bring one home.
I think it’s the juxtaposition of the thorns and the flowers, they’re like roses in that way; but these thorns seem a lot more intimidating. So, he came home, and my brain said succulent and cactus, and I didn’t hear him saying “sorta yes, but”, and we struggled. Struggled for a while, struggled like death’s door. I checked with my friend and his was growing like crazy, so what was I missing?
Turns out it was water. Euphorbia milii wants a lot of sun, but it’s not the succulent or cactus I imagined, and it’s not quite as drought tolerant as I thought. Once I started giving him more frequent waterings leaves started appearing and flowers started forming. So, the goal for this summer is fullness, leafiness, and more flowers.
And maybe now that I’ve learned what he wants, perhaps he needs a Euphorbia friend to keep him company. There are a lot of Euphorbia hybrids out there, so it might just be time for another visit to that nursery.
I’ll keep you posted.
