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Dig This

Friday, February 9, 2001

By Stephanie Kendrick

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By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Perla Alvarez holds two varieties of crown of thorns amid pots
of other hybrids. She was disappointed to learn this photo
would run in black and white. "Oh, too bad. In
color it would be so pretty," she said.

Flowers dress
prickly plants

EUPHORBIA milii gets its common name, crown of thorns, from the story of Christ's Passion.

Before he was crucified, soldiers placed a bramble wreath on Christ's head and mocked him as the king of the Jews.

A native of Madagascar, its unlikely E. milii had made its way to the Holy Land 2,000 years ago. But the treacherous beauty of this succulent does led itself to romantic associations.

Crown of thorns is dryland shrub that can weave itself into dense thickets. It boasts great variety in its appearance, with leaves from round to oblong, and growth habits horizontal and vertical. But its main attraction lies in colorful bracts that appear in great profusion year round.

These false flowers range in color from white to yellow to green to pink to orange to red, even brown. Striped or mottled variations also are common, and often create themselves.

"They're fascinating because they get cross-pollinated so easily," said Maureen Fitch, a plant physiologist at the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center and a longtime member of the Cactus and Succulent Society of Hawaii.

"It's like Christmas whenever you get a new seedling coming up," she said.

Seedlings will bloom within a year and they sometimes reveal a whole new color combination.

CROWN OF THORNS SHOW AND SALE When: Feb. 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Ward Warehouse Cost: Free

Fitch collects crown of thorns, which will be the subject of an exhibit Sept. 17 at Ward Warehouse.

"They have beautiful flowers and they're easy to grow and they're drought resistant," said Fitch. "Succulents in general are very forgiving."

Her career in science traces back to a fascination with her aunt's cactus and succulent collection. At the age of 5, Fitch was captivated by these otherworldly plants.

Practical concerns broadened her approach, however.

"One can't get a job working on succulents," said Fitch, so she studies crop plants for a living, but goes home to her prickly pals.

Fitch is among the succulent collectors whose interest in crown of thorns was heightened by the fairly recent introduction of hybrids from Thailand.

While the false flowers of Madagascar's crown of thorns typically measure about a centimeter, Thai horticulturalists have developed plants with bracts two inches across and larger.

Perla Alvarez has collected E. milii for years, but her interest in the plant exploded three years ago with the introduction of the Thai hybrids.

Now she has more than she can count. She'll be bringing about 30 exhibit-quality plants to the show, and some smaller samples to sell.

"They bloom all year, you don't have to wait once a year," said Alvarez, who has been in the Cactus and Succulent Society of Hawaii for close to 30 years.

Crown of thorns is easily grown in Hawaii's climate, according to Michael Miyashiro, president of the Cactus and Succulent Society of Hawaii. But Alvarez and Fitch offered some culture tips.

Avoid over watering; the plants are susceptible to root rot.

"Fertilizing makes it branchy," said Alvarez, who usesrtriple 14 or triple 17 when repotting and a 10-60-10 water soluble spray about once a month.

"Prune them on a sunny day because these can be prone to fungal and bacterial rots," said Fitch. If rain threatens when plants are freshly pruned, bring them inside for a day. Crown of thorns are gaining a following among bonsai artists, but the plants can also be allowed to grow without any pruning. "You can root the prunings. Don't throw anything away," said Fitch.

Propagation is easy by seed or cutting. The tri-part seed disburses when ripe and seedlings will often pop up around adult plants. They should be pulled and replanted at two to three inches tall. To capture seeds from a specimen plant, secure a piece of nylon stocking over the bract after pollinating, otherwise cross-pollination is likely.

"You constantly got to spray these guys because the bugs come," said Alvarez. Hawaii is home to a nactuid moth caterpillar that can denude an entire plant in a day. Scales, white flies, nematodes and beetle grubs are other common pests. "I check my plants every day," she said. "You've got to be on top of that all the time."

Experts will be on hand at the crown of thorns show to answer other questions on cultivation and propagation.

Gardening Calendar in Do It Electric!

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Stephanie Kendrick's gardening column runs Fridays in Today.
You can write her at the Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802
or email skendrick@starbulletin.com