Propagation Euphorbia caput-medusae

Medusa's head is a sprawling shrublet with a rosette of warty, more or less club-shaped branches. 

E. caput-medusae grows on sandy flats among the grass and on rocky coastal outcrops, and for this reason, it prefers sandy and well-drained soil in full sun and little watering.

Euphorbia caput-medusae

 

Scientific name: Euphorbia caput-medusae L.

Family: EUPHORBIACEAE

Common name: Medusa's head

Plant Description 

Medusa's head is a sprawling shrublet with a rosette of warty, more or less club-shaped branches. The branches are 10 - 30mm in diameter, emerging from a short, thick stem and with small, narrow, rapidly deciduous leaves at the branch tips. Large false flowers develop from May to September each surrounded by deeply fringed, pale yellow-cream and green lobes. 

Growing and maintenance of Euphorbia caput-medusae

E. caput-medusae grows on sandy flats among the grass and on rocky coastal outcrops, and for this reason, it prefers sandy and well-drained soil in full sun and little watering. It is easy to grow but slow-growing. 

Propagate through cuttings:

• Cuttings produce latex, therefore, wear gloves and safety glasses where possible.
• Cuttings need to callus the end of the stem before placing them in the soil.
• To callus, take side shoots from the mother plant and place, them in a dry place out of direct sunlight. 
• Place cuttings in a tray with river sand or directly in a pot.

References

Goldblatt, P & Manning J.C. 2000. Cape plants: A Conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

Manning, J. 2007. Field Guide to Fynbos, Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town

Archer, R.H. 2005. Euphorbia. PlantzAfrica. Online. http://pza.sanbi.org/euphorbia. Accessed 27/11/2020

Euphorbia caput-medusae" Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 01 Dec 2020.