The Crown of Thorns or some refer to it as the Christ Plant is thought by many to be a succulent, but it is not a succulent at all.
More accurately it is a woody perennial or subshrub, for many the Crown of Thorns is considered a house plant but can be and is an outdoor plant that grows in zones 9 & 10, refer to our climate map on our website www.watchusgrow.com for these areas. Outdoors they make a great container plant or plant along a pathway for an accent plant.
The Crown of Thorns will grow 3 to 4 feet high, the stems are 1/2 inch thick and armed with sharp thorns up to 1 inch long. The stems may need some support as they are flexible and can become quite lengthy. It has thin rounded leaves that are green in color , and last for several months before falling off.
Flowers are tiny but striking , they come in a few different colors, red ,white, pink, and yellow , they bloom in clusters . If your Crown of Thorns gets at least 3 hours of sunlight a day they seem to bloom best .
One of the most common issues with growing the Crown of Thorns is overwatering and underwatering , you will be able to tell by yellowing leaves. So just water moderately and less after the flowering season.
As we stated earlier Crown of Thorns loves the sunlight ,the more the better, it does great in a warm room or outside in dry air.
If you are so inclined you can propagate the Crown of Thorns plant, use seeds or cuttings . Cuttings should be taken in the spring or early part of summer, let the cuttings dry out for a couple of days and use a sandy well draining soil for best results. Do not let the milky latex that will flow from the plant after cutting come in contact with your eyes or skin, it is an irritant .It’s not fatal but some are more allergic to it than others. If you have any swelling or discomfort
after contact consult a doctor.
Remember to feed your Crown of Thorns plant with a diluted solution of liquid plant food spring through fall. We recommend Watch Us Grow all purpose liquid plant food for best results.