Euphorbia enopla | Pincushion Euphorbia
€7,95
🌱 Morphology
A small plant fortress covered in red spears. Numerous grey-green stems rise from the base, forming a compact clump where the long, deep-red thorns stand out like small ignited needles. Over time, the plant can become a true sculpture, much wider than it is tall and completely dominated by the contrast between its stems and its prickly structures.
It is a shrubby succulent Euphorbia, highly branched from the base, which can reach approximately 90 cm in height and form clumps of considerable width. The stems are cylindrical, erect or slightly curved, about 2–3 cm in diameter and up to 20–30 cm long. They feature 6–8 deep ribs with small tubercles on which long thorns develop, characteristically reddish and several centimeters long. The leaves are very small and soon disappear. It is a dioecious species, meaning there are separate male and female plants. Like other Euphorbia, it produces white latex.
🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
It is endemic to South Africa, where it grows in dry, stony regions. It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. In South African succulent Euphorbias, the combination of fleshy stems, greatly reduced leaves, and prickly structures constitutes a characteristic adaptation to dry environments.
❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 9b–11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −4 ºC for brief periods if it remains completely dry and is well-acclimatized. For winter cultivation, it is especially important to avoid keeping the substrate moist during low temperatures. The International Euphorbia Society indicates that South African species can withstand temperatures near 5 ºC when kept dry.
☀️ Lighting
During active growth, it requires very high lighting, with an approximate goal of 18–25 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR. It tolerates direct sun after progressive acclimatization. Intense light promotes compact growth and helps maintain the characteristic coloration of the thorns.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During the active growth period, it is recommended to water abundantly and let the substrate dry out completely before watering again. During winter, watering is significantly reduced, keeping the substrate practically dry when temperatures are low.
🌸 Flowering
It is a dioecious species: male and female plants produce different reproductive structures. The small cyathia appear on peduncles and have dark reddish hues. After fertilization, female plants develop the three-lobed capsules characteristic of the genus.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer specific to succulents is recommended, with a high content of assimilable calcium, such as Desert CHOICE® Suculentas, applied once a month when watering.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
📏 The sizes of our basic collection xerophytes are as follows:
S -> 9cm x 9cm
M-> 14cm x 14 cm
L->16cm x 16 cm
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The measurements of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly, because it is a living being! Each of the Desert CITY plants has unique characteristics.
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