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Euphorbia aphylla (Leafless Spurge) - A slow growing evergreen succulent shrub that typically grows 1 to 2 feet tall but older plants can possibly reach to around 3 feet. It is densely branched with a short brownish corky trunk and pencil-like green stems that branch in whorls and have tiny scale-like leaves that fall off quickly after emerging, which makes the plant generally appear leafless. Yellow flowers (technically the cyathium) are clustered tightly at the branch tips starting in early spring and continuing through fall, and consisting of central greenish flowers emerging from the cyathia surrounded by 3 to 5 small petal-like yellow nectar guides.
Plant in full sun in a fairly well drained soil and irrigate infrequently to not at all. It has proven hardy to at least 25°F and likely can withstand short duration temperatures a bit lower. It is a halophyte that is tolerant of salty and near seashore conditions. This is a great small tough shrub for the dry garden.
Euphorbia aphylla is native to the Canary Islands on the north coast of largest island, Gran Canaria, where it is often found growing close to the ocean on coastal rocks and bluffs. It is also found in similar areas on the northwest and southern side of Tenerife and also on La Gomera. The name for the genus is derived from Euphorbus, the Greek physician of King Juba II of Numidia and later of Mauritania. In 12 B.C. King Juba named a cactus-like plant he found in the Atlas Mountains after his physician and later Carl Linnaeus assigned the name Euphorbia to the entire genus. The specific epithet comes from the Greek words 'a' meaning "without" and 'phyllon' meaning "leaf" in reference to this plant being without leaves. Other common names include Milk Hedge and Candelabra Cactus.
The French naturalist Pierre Marie Auguste Broussonet (1861-1807) initially described Euphorbia aphylla in his Elenchus Plantarum Horti Botanici Monspeliensis in 1804, but its description was determined not to meet the standards for valid publication and the name was republished by Carl Ludwig von Willdenow in 1809, a couple years after Broussonet's death . For this reason, the plant is correctly listed as Euphorbia aphylla Brouss. ex Willd.
We thank the late John Bleck for introducing us to this plant and allowing us to take cuttings from the nice specimen plant in his Goleta, California garden.
The information displayed on this page about Euphorbia aphylla is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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