“Euphorbia” Genus

Euphorbia is a cactus-like genus with plants that fall under it originating from most of the continents in the world. They originate from Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. Spurge is the common name for the entire genus, but one of the most popular species, Euphorbia Milii, has several interesting common words. They include Crown of Thorns, Christ Thorn, and Christ Plant.

Latin America and other Spanish-speaking regions are Corona de Cristo or Corona de Espinas. If you are familiar with the Bible, you may have already connected the names and the crucifixion of Christ. Legend has it that this plant’s thorns were used to make the crown of thorns put on Christ’s head during his crucifixion.

Euphorbia Varieties

Euphorbia has numerous varieties. Below is a table of the most common of them.

Common Name	Botanical Name	USDA Zones
Poinsettia	Euphorbia Pulcherimma	10a – 11b
Desert Candle	Euphorbia Abyssinica	9b -11b
Pencil Cactus	Euphorbia Tirucalli	10 – 12
African Milk Tree	Euphorbia Trigona	9 – 11
Dragon Bones Tree	Euphorbia Lactea	10a – 11b
Crown of Thorns	Euphorbia Milli	9 – 11
Wood Spurge	Euphorbia Amygdaloides	6 – 8
Donkey Tail Spurge	Euphorbia Myrsinites	5 – 9
Basketball Euphorbia	Euphorbia Obesa	9 – 11
Cushion Spurge	Euphorbia Polychroma	4 – 8

Euphorbia has over 2100 varieties, making it the most diverse flowering plant in the world. The number also makes it impossible to list all the varieties. One thing about this genus is that the plants under it are highly diverse and many hardly look alike apart from the common characteristics discussed earlier.

Euphorbia Plants On Succulent City