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Euphorbia submammillaris
The green new growth contrasts with the chalky white
basal part of the stem.
This plant is generally sold as young individuals, often single stemmed
(like above). It is then difficult to imagine how interesting it becomes
as a miniature cushion, with hundreds of freely branching stems.
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Description: Miniature perennial-Dwarf succulent shrub which
forms a dense 'cushion' of closely packed columns with a few spines.
The
clumps can be over 50 cm in diameter.
Stems: About 1,5 cm in diameter, 10-20 cm long, 7-10 angled.
Green
to pale green, eventually covered by a chalky white bloom, but turning
pink near the tops in the cold of winter.
Flowers: Deep maroon.
Blooming season: Winter or spring (depending on growing
conditions)
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Cultivation:
An easy-to-grow plant for pot culture. It grows well in a very draining
mineral potting substrate, but it isn't picky about soil.
It can
be watered during the growing season, and enjoys average feeding and watering.
When dormant in winter, keep it
totally dry at at around 4°C. They
need a lot of light to keep their compact growth-form.
The plants that are not kept in full sun grow faster,
but become untidy and may need support as
they get larger.
But one gets best colour if grown in full sun, where the chalk white stem of this
low-growing clumping columnar plant has the best colour. It
is also a prolific flowerer and makes a spectacular specimen.
Propagation: It is propagated by
cuttings or seeds. Its branches and offsets are readily available.
If you
remove an offset, remember to let it dry for a week or so, letting the
wound heal (cuttings planted too soon easily rot before they can grow
roots). It is better to wash the cut to remove the latex. The
seed can be sown just under the surface in normal seedling trays, in a
sandy seed mix. Germination usually occurs within 1 - 3 weeks.
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 may irritate skin, so pay extreme attention not to get
any in your eyes or mouth.
Cultivated plants must be handled carefully.
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Family: Euphorbiaceae |
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Scientific name: Euphorbia
submammillaris A. Berger ex
Pax
Origin: South Africa (Cape Province)
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix 2.
Synonyms:
- Euphorbia cereiformis L. var.
submamillaris A.Berger
Etymology: The specific epithet 'submammillaris'
comes from the Latin
'sub-', meaning 'almost, more or less'; and for the
similarity to Euphorbia mammillaris.
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The deep maroon flowers appears in winter or spring.
Attractive groundcover
Euphorbia will form colonies of small, closely packed columns with a few
spines.
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Cultivation
and Mail Sale 
