EUPHORBIA milii

Euphorbia milii (crown of thorns, Christ plant, Christ thorn) is a thorny, much branched, semi-succulent shrub to ca. 1.5-1.8 m tall, branches covered with spines. It is semi-prostrate or somewhat climbing and quickly forms a low dense hedge which can be easily trimmed without harming the plant. It is widely grown in the tropics as an ornamental for the bright red bracts that resemble, from a distance, geraniums. Bracts of this beautiful shrub—which is seldom out of bloom—come naturally in bright red, but in cultivation it is available in all warm colours, including red, yellow, coral, and cream. The species name commemorates Baron Milius, once Governor of Réunion, who introduced the species to France in 1821. It is suspected that the species was introduced to the Middle East in ancient times, and legend associates it with the crown of thorns worn by Christ at the crucifixion. There are a number of varieties (at least eleven) of which var. splendens is the most popularly cultivated.