The Euphorbia plant is a representative of one of the largest plant families of Euphorbia. This genus includes about 2 thousand different species that live in almost all corners of the planet. These include succulent plants, herbaceous annuals, large shrubs and cactus-shaped species. In Russia, there are more than 150 species of wild milkweed, not to mention the cultivated plants that adorn houses and gardens.
Even weeds from this family can be quite decorative. An example is the cypress euphorbia, which forms delicate stems with needle-like leaves. Its relative, the fiery spurge, is quite often found in flower beds due to the spectacular coloration of foliage and flowers. An unusual color of foliage also has another garden species of milkweed - fringed, also known as "Vologda lace".
The Latin name for milkweed comes from the name of the ancient physician and scientist Euphorb, who studied this plant and even prepared healing agents from it.
Description of milkweed
Despite the difference in the shapes and sizes of the aboveground part, all types of milkweed are united by one characteristic feature - light milky juice, with which their generic name is associated. It is by it that one can often determine the belonging of a plant to euphorbia, although plants of other families can also contain such juice. There are also milkweed with clear juice. Despite the fact that the plant can be used in folk medicine, it is important to remember that milkweed juice is caustic and is considered poisonous. Its contact with the skin can cause allergies, and ingestion can cause poisoning.
The shape and color of milkweed flowers depends on the species. Many of its varieties form cyatia inflorescences. Wrap leaves around pistillate flowers with several stamens are usually colored in different colors and resemble familiar flower petals. After flowering, fruit-boxes are formed on the plant, in which there are 3 seeds each.
Some types of milkweed are grown as an oilseed crop. So in the countries of Asia, euphorbia is widespread. Its seeds are used to obtain oil.
How to distinguish euphorbia from cacti
It is quite easy to distinguish species of milkweed from cacti, without even resorting to checking the plants for the content of milky juice. Cactus spines grow in pubescent areola areas; milkweed thorns lack such pubescence. In addition, the plants differ in the appearance of the flowers.
Brief rules for growing milkweed
The table shows brief rules for caring for milkweed at home.
| Lighting level | The plant is not afraid of direct sunlight. It can be kept on windows facing south, southeast or southwest. |
| Content temperature | In summer, it can be grown at temperatures around 20-25 degrees. In winter, a temperature of about 14 degrees is required. |
| Watering mode | It is worth watering abundantly only when the soil lump dries out by about a quarter. |
| Air humidity | The plant does not need a high level of moisture. |
| The soil | A suitable soil must be good for air conduction and be sufficiently loose. The reaction of the soil should be neutral. |
| Top dressing | The plant does not need frequent feeding. |
| Transfer | Euphorbia is transplanted into a new container only if necessary. |
| Pruning | Only branching varieties usually need to pinch. Dry stems are also subject to removal. |
| Bloom | Most often it blooms 1-2 times a year. The plant can bloom at any time of the year, depending on the specific species. |
| Dormant period | The dormant period usually occurs in winter. |
| Reproduction | Cuttings, children, dividing the bush, rarely by seeds. |
| Pests | Aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies. |
| Diseases | It can be affected by various types of rot due to improper care. |
Milkweed care at home
Due to the significant differences in the appearance of various euphorbia, there are no uniform growing rules for these plants. Most often, succulent milkweed is chosen to decorate apartments, therefore, the features of caring for such species will be described below.
Lighting
The optimal daylight hours for milkweed are approximately 10 hours. Moreover, many of these plants are not afraid of direct sunlight. They can be kept on windows facing south, southeast or southwest. But on the foliage of some species of milkweed, the bright sun can leave burns. In this case, diffused light should be organized for the bushes. For uniform development of the green part, it is recommended to periodically turn the pot. For the summer, milkweed can be transferred to the garden, choosing for them a place sheltered from strong winds.
If the plants lack light, they will grow much more slowly, and sometimes they can completely wither away. In dark rooms, phytolamps can be used to compensate for the lack of natural light.
Temperature
In the summer, you can grow milkweed at a temperature of about 20-25 degrees. These plants are considered to be quite resistant to heat. Beautifully flowering species in winter need to provide a dormant period - at this time they try to keep them cool. For the formation of buds, such plants need a temperature of about 14 degrees. The lower threshold is 10 degrees.
Milkweed tolerate temperature changes quite steadily, but react extremely negatively to drafts. The room where there are pots with such flowers should be ventilated more carefully.
Watering
The abundance of watering can be judged by the appearance of the milkweed. The more his bush looks like representatives of cactus, the less water he will need. Moreover, any plant should not be waterlogged often. It is worth watering the spurge abundantly only when the soil lump dries out by about a quarter. Moisture stagnation and soil acidification harm plantings, especially species with fleshy stalks.
Part of the milkweed is considered to be more moisture-loving. Such species include the millet spurge, which sheds its foliage when a drought sets in. You should not allow the soil to completely dry out when growing other types of flower.
If in winter the spurge is resting in the coolness, the amount of watering must be reduced. Otherwise, there is a risk of developing root rot of the plant.
Humidity level
Milkweed does not need a high level of humidity. Such plants do well in normal living conditions. They tolerate dry air better than humidified air, so even dusting foliage can be carried out with a dry brush or napkin.
The soil
A soil suitable for planting milkweed must have good air flow and be sufficiently loose.The reaction of the soil should be neutral. You can use ready-made substrates for succulents or cacti, or prepare the ground yourself. It includes leafy soil, turf, peat, coarse sand and brick debris, taken in equal proportions. A drainage layer is necessarily laid at the bottom. You can use expanded clay for it.
A fairly wide and not very deep pot is suitable as a container for milkweed. When transplanting older and larger specimens that can turn the container over, use heavier pots or place weight stones on their bottom.
Top dressing
Milkweed does not need nutritious soil, so the plant does not need frequent feeding. No more than 2 times a month, it can be fed with a composition for cacti or succulents in a standard dosage. During the dormant period, fertilizers are not applied.
Transfer
Euphorbia is transplanted into a new container only if necessary: when the roots of the plant no longer fit in the old pot. Usually the pot is renewed every few years. The new container should exceed the old one by about a couple of centimeters.
Pruning
White-veined and ribbed milkweed species, as well as succulents that look like cacti, do not need to be pruned. Only branching varieties usually need to pinch, including Mila's euphorbia. This procedure promotes the development of a more lush crown and does not allow the bush to grow excessively in height. Dry stems are also subject to removal. Pruning is carried out after the flowering of the bush or around the middle of the summer season.
Milkweed breeding methods
Cactus euphorbia is propagated at home with the help of children. Foliage species are most easily propagated by seeds and cuttings.
For cuttings, parts of the plant stem are used, previously washed from the juice that is released in warm water. After washing, they are dried in air for several days, until the cut is covered with a film. You can additionally powder it with crushed coal. The size of the cut should be about 12 cm. The cut should also have several leaf plates.
To accelerate root development, the lower part of the cut can be treated with a stimulant. Ready cuttings are planted in wet sand or peat. In a bright place, when creating greenhouse conditions, the seedling should take root quickly enough. This usually takes a couple of weeks. The shelter should be removed regularly for ventilation.
Leafy cuttings can also be used for vegetative propagation. They are carefully pinched off without using a tool. After the juice drains off, the cut is treated with a stimulant. Such cuttings are planted in the same way as stem cuttings, but they take root 2 times longer. Usually, triangular and white-veined euphorbia can reproduce in this way.
If the species is self-seeding, its seeds can sprout on their own right in the same pot. In this case, the seedlings are carefully planted in their own container. If desired, the seeds can be harvested and germinated - fresh seed has a particularly high germination capacity.
Mille spurge also reproduces by dividing the bush. It is held in early spring or autumn. The bush is removed from the container, dried or rotten roots are removed, and then the roots and stems of the plant are manually separated. If possible, this is done without a tool. If you cannot do without it, the instrument should be sterilized. Sections of the cut are washed under warm water, then sprinkled with charcoal and seated in separate containers. Such a division significantly weakens the plant, therefore, in the first year after the procedure, the divisions have weak growth rates and almost do not bloom.
Pests and diseases
Milkweeds are highly resistant to pests and diseases and most often get sick due to a systematic violation of the rules of care.
- The foliage turns yellow massively in summer due to drafts or frequent stagnation of water in the ground. Yellowing can also cause nutrient deficiencies during growth.Separate yellowing leaves in the lower part of the plant at this time is a natural process of the bush's development.
- If the leaves turn yellow in the fall, some types of milkweed can prepare for wintering. The massive fall of foliage in the autumn should be compensated by the appearance of spring shoots.
- Small brown spots on the stem may indicate the development of rot. It is usually caused by too cool conditions combined with frequent overflow.
- Large brown spots on foliage or stems are caused by sunburn.
Types and varieties of milkweed with photos and names
Among the many types of milkweed, the following are most often grown as domestic ones:
White-veined spurge (Euphorbia leuconeura)
Madagascar view. Euphorbia leuconeura is a herbaceous perennial. In nature, its height reaches 1.5 m, but at home it is limited by the volume of the container. Mature plants begin to branch slightly. Their stem in the lower part has the shape of a cylinder and over time begins to stiffen. The upper part of the stem is five-ribbed. Traces of fallen leaf blades remain on it, which appear in the form of dry brownish strokes. The stem itself is colored deep green. A strip of short brownish pubescence runs along the apex of the ribs. Petiole foliage is located at the top of the stem, arranged in a spiral. As it grows, the lower leaves fall off, forming new marks, and the stem continues to develop upward. The petioles are red-green in color. The length of each leaf reaches 20 cm with a width of up to 8 cm. On the lower side, the leaf is painted in a soft green color, and on the outside, in dark green, with lighter veins. As the bush develops, the veins acquire the usual green color. During the flowering period, the species forms small light inflorescences.
The growth rates are quite high. In addition, he is able to give abundant self-seeding, scattering ripe seeds around him. Sometimes they end up not only in the pot with the mother plant, but also in the neighboring containers.
Spurge ribbed or comb (Euphorbia lophogona)
Mexican succulent shrub. Euphorbia lophogona significantly resembles the white-veined spurge, but the veins on the foliage of this species are not light-colored. The growths on its ribs are like thorns. During the flowering period, the bush forms inflorescences with light pinkish bracts. If in the white-veined species the flowers are located in the axils, in such a milkweed they develop on small peduncles. This species is also capable of self-seeding reproduction.
Mille spurge (Euphorbia milii)
Or euphorbia beautiful, brilliant (Euphorbia splendens). Endemic Madagascar species. Euphorbia milii (splendens) is a branched shrub that can grow up to 2 m in height.Its gray stem has noticeable tubercles and many thorns up to 3 cm long. Leaf blades on short petioles reach 15 cm in length and about 3.5 cm in width. Over a period of time, the lower leaves die off, so only the top of the plant remains leafy. The folded bracts come in a variety of colors, including shades of scarlet, pink, white, yellow, and orange. At home, the plant rarely forms seeds, so the bush is propagated by cuttings.
Euphorbia triangular or triangular (Euphorbia trigona)
Inhabits dry South African regions. Euphorbia trigona is a succulent shrub up to 2 m tall. Its stems are located only vertically. They have a color that combines various shades of green and a triangular shape. On the upper part of the ribs, there are reddish claw-shaped spines, and spatulate leaves up to 5 cm long grow from their sinuses. The variety with green shoots and reddish leaves is especially widespread. In indoor culture, this species does not bloom at all and reproduces exclusively in a vegetative way.
Euphorbia beautiful or poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
One of the most spectacular types of milkweed grows in the Mexican tropics, and is also found in areas of Central America.Euphorbia pulcherrima, also called the "Christmas star", has become one of the world's symbols of this holiday. This is due to the original color of the plant during the flowering period, which falls on the winter months, as well as the beautiful star-shaped form of its bracts.
In nature, it is a large (up to 4 m) shrub with a large number of thin angular shoots. When grown in a pot, the poinsettia is more modest - no more than half a meter. Its foliage with short petioles is oval in shape with a pointed tip or large teeth at the edges. There are noticeable streaks on the surface of the leathery leaf plates. The length of each leaf reaches 16 cm, the width is about 7 cm. During the flowering period, the plant becomes especially elegant. On it, medium-sized inflorescences are formed, surrounded by large bright bracts, significantly resembling ordinary leaves. In a species plant, they are colored red, but there are also varieties with bracts of a different color - yellow, pink, orange, light green, etc.
Spurge "Medusa's Head" (Euphorbia caput-medusae)
South African view. Euphorbia caput-medusae is a branched perennial that forms large horizontal shoots that diverge in different directions. Its lodging stems are covered with conical tubercles, giving the plant some resemblance to a snake ball. The foliage is tiny and is preserved only in the upper part of the shoots. Small light flowers with a pleasant aroma are also formed there. Over time, the plant develops a central thickening of the stem - caudex, the surface of which is covered with scars. Due to the unusual appearance of the bush, it is sometimes used as an ampelous one.
Euphorbia obese or plump (Euphorbia obesa)
A species that lives in the African Cape. Euphorbia obesa is one of the euphorbia species especially similar to cacti. It has a non-branching octahedron stem. The young plant resembles a gray-green ball, but stretches upward with age. The height of the bush is about 30 cm, and in diameter its size reaches only 10 cm. At the tops of the ribs there are tubercles with scars from old fallen inflorescences. The inflorescences themselves resemble medium-sized bumps or buds, and also have noticeable pistils. Only specimens at least 5 years old begin to bloom. After artificial pollination, seeds can set. To prevent them from being thrown in different directions of the room, you should cover the plant with a net.
The species is particularly unpretentious and can grow for years in the same soil. For cultivation, partial shade is preferable. If it is necessary to change the lighting mode, this should be done gradually.
Euphorbia enopla (Euphorbia enopla)
Another African species. Euphorbia enopla resembles familiar cacti covered with long thorns. It can branch, its height is from 30 cm to 1 m. Shoots are cylindrical and are painted in bright green color. They have 6-8 protruding ribs. On their tops are hard reddish spines-cones up to 6 cm long. Flowers are formed in the upper part of the shoots. At first, the growing peduncles resemble thorns, but then medium-sized burgundy flowers bloom on them. So that such a spurge does not stretch out, you should keep it in a sunny corner, otherwise the bush will need support. The species is considered resistant to light frosts.
