Euphorbia handiensis | Jandía Spurge
€7,95
📍 Native to Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), this plant is also known as Jandía Spurge and belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.
🌱 Morphology
It looks like a small cactus dressed in armor of long spines, but it is actually a unique Euphorbia found nowhere else in the world. Numerous stems rise from a short, thick trunk to form a compact clump, and along its ribs, pairs of straight spines create a true protective crown. In mature specimens, the lower stems take on grayish tones while the young tips remain green, and at each apex, the spines cluster to form a striking reddish or brown tuft.
It is a succulent shrub, densely branched from the base, growing up to approximately 1 m in height. The stems are cylindrical, about 6–8 cm in diameter, with 8–14 ribs separated by deep furrows. On each rib, pairs of straight and very robust spines, about 2–4 cm long, are arranged. Small floral structures appear at the ends of the stems. As with other Euphorbia, it produces abundant irritating and caustic white latex.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
An endemic species exclusive to the Jandía peninsula in southern Fuerteventura (Canary Islands). It lives at altitudes of approximately 50 to 300 m on slopes, gullies, and ravines with stony soils and volcanic materials, within xeric scrub communities known as the "cardonal de Jandía." It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. Its extremely restricted distribution makes it a vulnerable and protected species.
❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 10a–11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −1 ºC occasionally, provided it remains completely dry and is well acclimated. In cultivation, there are more conservative references that place its practical limit around 5 ºC, so cold resistance depends especially on acclimation, duration of exposure, and, above all, the moisture of the substrate.
☀️ Lighting
It needs very intense lighting, with an approximate goal of 18–25 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR during growth. Direct sun promotes compact growth and good spine formation, but specimens that have grown under low radiation must be acclimated progressively to avoid sunburn.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before the next watering. In winter, it should be kept almost dry, especially in low temperatures. In its habitat, it withstands long periods of drought and very scarce rainfall, making excess moisture much more dangerous than a lack of water.
🌸 Flowering
The cyathia are small, only a few millimeters, and appear at the ends of the stems. They display greenish-yellow and reddish tones and are discreet compared to the plant's spectacular structure. Natural flowering occurs mainly in spring and early summer. The fruits are small, three-lobed, reddish or reddish-brown capsules, about 3–4 mm in size.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer specific for succulents is recommended, with a high content of assimilable calcium, such as Desert CHOICE® Succulents, applied once a month during watering.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot with substrate activated by 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 sent specimen 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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