Euphorbia Pachypodioides

Euphorbia pachypodioides is a highly desirable species with high horticultural appeal. It forms short pachypodium-like stems with attractive bright red cyathia at the top and bright frosted blue leaves.

Habit: It is a winter deciduous succulent subshrub, usually unbranched, 35-50(-70) cm tall.

Stem: Simple, columnar, 5(-8) cm in diameter at the base, spiny, green or dark purple with a bluish tint and covered with prominent leaf-scars in 8-12 spiral series.

Stipular Spines: Isolate and single, reddish-brown becoming dark purple, about 1.5 cm long, with expanded bases, eventually breaking off.

Leaves: Large clustered at stem tip, elliptic to lanceolate, to 10-12 cm long 3-5 cm wide, apex acute, upper face glaucous-green, lower face red-violet, subsessile (petiole short and thick) and deciduous. The leaves start appearing in late winter.

Cultivation and Propagation: Euphorbia pachypodioides is an attractive, but slow growing species available from several sources for enthusiasts. It has the fame to be quite tricky to cultivate.

Growth rate: It is a slow growing long lived plant and once established, it will be content in its position and with its soil for years.

Exposure: A very very light and warm place in full sun is highly appreciated, but can tolerate moderate shade, and a plant that has been growing in shade should be slowly hardened off before placing it in full sun as the plant will be severely scorched if moved too suddenly from shade into sun.

Soil: It does best in a mineral soil, good drainage is essential.

Watering: Water sparingly during the summer months and keep dry in winter. In the short growing season it likes ample water and in this period it grows rather quickly, though not for a long time. When not in growth it is killed right away, when given too much water.

Propagation: It is propagated from seed sown during spring or summer or by grafting stem.. Germination occurs within 3 weeks. Sowing seed of this self fertile species is the surest method of growing typical offspring and seedlings are in the first season relatively easy to grow. It can be grafted as well.

Warning: As with all other Euphorbias when a plant get damaged it exudes a thick white milky sap known as latex. This latex is poisonous and particularly dangerous for the eyes, skin and mucous membranes. So pay extreme attention not to get any in your eyes or mouth. Cultivated plants must be handled carefully.