Ask the Plant Expert: What is this Blooming Plant with Spikes on the Trunk?

Ask The Plant Expert: What is this plant called?

I got this plant a few months ago. The plant had pink flowers blooming on it but they have all died. The trunk has spikes on it.

Ryan

Plant Expert Reply:

Ryan,

What an interesting little plant you have. It is a is a Euphorbia milii commonly called Crown of thorns.

This plant does not like to be over watered, so water it sparingly and apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer at half rate to it once a month during the growing season. In March and April the plant will require a little more water than other times during the growing season. During the winter keep the plant almost dry.

To ensure that the plant will thrive make sure you have the plant potted in a well-drained light soil and placed in full sunlight. It prefers warm areas and is hardy only in zone 9 – 11. If you live outside of these zones, be sure to bring the plant indoors once the temperature falls below 45 degrees.

When handling the plant you might want to wear latex gloves since the sap of the plant can cause skin irritation. This plant is poisonous if ingested, so keep children and pets away from it.

Hope this information is helpful.

Thanks,

Jamie Jamison Adams