Euphorbia milii

Euphorbia milii is a very spiny succulent shrub that can reach up to 1.8 metres in height. Its stems, slender and woody at the base, are armed with straight spines of about 3 cm that allow it to lean on and climb over nearby vegetation in its natural habitat.

At the tips of the young stems grows a rosette of elongated, bright green leaves, which tend to fall from the older parts of the plant. Most striking are its inflorescences, made up of a pair of coloured bracts - red, pink, yellow or white depending on the variety - surrounding the tiny true flowers, and which can appear all year round in favourable conditions.

It is a shrub native to Madagascar, where it grows naturally in ravines, rocky slopes and terraces, both in full sun and in partial shade. From there it has spread as an ornamental plant to tropical and subtropical regions all over the world.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the species is classed as “Least Concern”, as it maintains stable populations across its natural range.

Its common name, “crown of thorns” or “Christ's thorn”, alludes to the legend linking its thorny branches with the crown Jesus Christ is said to have worn, although the plant is in fact native to Madagascar and reached Europe and the Near East many centuries after that tradition.

All parts of it contain a milky latex that is very irritating and caustic to the skin and mucous membranes, and it is toxic to pets if ingested, so it should be handled with care despite its showy flowering.