Euphorbia caerulescens – Succulent plant

Euphorbia caerulescens is an ornamental shrub that can reach heights of 1 to 1.5 meters. It has rhizome-like roots that create large stands of densely packed plants. The clearly square to hexagonal and upright branches are divided into 10 cm long and 5 cm wide sections by elongated constrictions. The blue-green colored shoots have notched teeth on the edges. The thorn shields have grown together to form a horn edge and thorns up to 12 mm in length are formed. Euphorbia caerulescens produces cymes of bright greenish-yellow cyathia. The bluntly lobed fruit is about 7 mm in size and has a stalk about 5 mm long. It contains the spherical seed.

The milky sap of this plant is poisonous and can cause skin irritations. Therefore Euphorbia should be handled with caution and kept away from children and pets.

Scientific classification

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Genus:

Euphorbia

Species:

E. caerulescens

Scientific Name:

Euphorbia caerulescens

How to care and grow Euphorbia caerulescens?

Light

It prefers full to partial sunlight. Provides good sunlight at least 3-5 hours of the day, and turn it regularly so that your plant doesn’t begin to grow lopsided.

Soil

Euphorbia caerulescens grows well in well-draining, gritty soils, or cactus potting mix. They are not particular about soil pH, but they cannot tolerate wet soil.

Water

Water regularly during the growing season. You can allow the soil to dry out between each watering. No water should ever be allowed to stand around the roots. Keep almost completely dry in winter. Do not water too often to prevent over watering, which can potentially kill it off.

Temperature

It prefers an optimal temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit – 85 degrees Fahrenheit / 16 degrees Celsius to 29 degrees Celsius.

Fertilizer

Fertilize every two weeks with a diluted balanced liquid fertilizer during its growing season in the spring and summer. Avoid fertilizing your plant during the fall and winter months.

Propagation

Euphorbia caerulescens can be easily propagated by seed and cuttings. Take cutting in spring, which needs to be dried out for a couple of weeks in shade before potting. This can be tricky, because of the exuding sap. Rooting hormone is recommended with Euphorbias.

Pests and Diseases

This Euphorbia plant may be susceptible to mealy bugs, scale insects, occasionally spider