Consulta Plantas

Care of the succulent plant Euphorbia balsamifera or Balsam spurge

The genus Euphorbia, family Euphorbiaceae, includes 2,000 species of succulents, trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants of cosmopolitan distribution.

Common name: Balsam spurge. This species is native to the Canary Islands and North Africa.

They are curious bushy plants with a thick-gray stem that can reach 1 meter (3.28 feet) in height. The fleshy and large lanceolate leaves (grayish green) are arranged in a rosette at the end of the stems. They produce small yellow flowers.

They are used to form bushy groups, as isolated specimens in the garden, in pots for terraces, as a houseplant and even as bonsai. They are ideal for coastal gardens due to their resistance to wind and salinity.

Euphorbia balsamifera needs a sunny exposure (in light shade if the summers are very hot). The temperature should not be less than 10º C (50 ºF). In regions with cold winters it is advisable to grow them in pots and to keep them indoors.

The soil can be a mixture of 2 parts of sand, one of leaf mulch, and one of peat. The transplant is done in early autumn.

Water moderately, waiting for the substrate to dry. Keep in mind that the rest period is in spring and summer; water enough so that the soil does not dry out completely.

Fertilize with organic matter in autumn.

They are low maintenance plants that do not need pruning.

They can be attacked by mealybugs and, if there is excess watering, by fungi.

They propagate by seeds or cuttings in late summer being very careful with the irritating latex of these plants.

Images of the succulent plant Euphorbia balsamifera or Balsam spurge