I started growing Euphorbia lactea and E. trigona when I got some cuttings from my sister CY's garden. I thought they were cacti that do not need too much watering, and so very easy to maintain. (Kira malas nak siram pokok-lah!). But later I found out that they are really not cacti after all.
These Euphorbia may look a lot like cacti, but are not because these plants bleed white latex rather than water. This shrub has a profusion of crowded vertical shoots bearing tiny leaves at the growing tips. The leaves are usually shed early leaving behind persistant thorns. In Euphorbia lactea 'Cristata' the stems are expanded into combs. They love to grow in full sun and propagation is by cuttings. Their origin is probably India for E. lactea and West Africa for E. trigona.
(Pic E. Lactea 'Cristata')
Although these Euphorbia have small flowers, I have yet to see any in my garden. I have seen the yellow flowers on big specimens of the E. lactea grown on the ground at some gardens. I grow mine in containers to curtail their growth, maybe at the expense of flowers?
Weather-wise, December is still a very wet month. Most plants are doing well, but some like the Frangipani, have very 'unhealthy' looking leaves. I have done as much pruning as possible.
Note: With about 2000 species, Euphorbia is perhaps the biggest genus of flowering plants. Another species I have in the garden is Euphorbia milii (see my post SA Garden Catalogue: Crown of Thorns, 16 February 2013).
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