At one point, I said that I wanted a Euphorbia punicea, even though I hadn't seen one in person. Now I've seen one in person, and the $70 price tag makes me realize . . . that I can probably wait a few days before I rush out and buy one.
But the overall shape of the plant is really quite nice. And the flowers, individually,1 are great:
If perhaps not entirely in proportion to the rest of the plant.
So perhaps someday. Though I may need a little while longer to get over my poinsettia trauma first, 'cause E. punicea looks pretty similar.2 And Euphorbias have been pissing me off a bit lately, with all their fungus-having,3 so that's another hurdle to be jumped before I ever buy a E. punicea.
I'll just plan on admiring from afar.
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1 Yes, I know they're not individual flowers, but are instead inflorescences (groups of individual flowers, surrounded by modified leaves called bracts). Nobody likes a pedant, you know.
2 The common name, "Jamaican poinsettia," is a nod to the resemblance, and possibly even to it being a poinsettia relative.
Shockingly, it really is from Jamaica. Common names working the way they do, this is the most surprising origin for a "Jamaican" plant I can imagine.
3 It's looking increasingly like I'm going to just have to dump all the Euphorbia miliis, and possibly also start the Synadeniums over from a single clean cutting of each, if I can find any clean cuttings. Things have gotten desperate enough that I skipped right over the baking soda cure to the chlorothalonil, and the chlorothalonil DIDN'T EVEN HELP. I mean, seriously, if I'm going to court kidney failure for a fungus cure, then it had better goddamn cure the fungus. Instead, you wouldn't even know I'd sprayed anything, to look at some of the plants in question. Seriously tempted to return it to the ex-job for a refund, and I never do that.
2 The common name, "Jamaican poinsettia," is a nod to the resemblance, and possibly even to it being a poinsettia relative.
Shockingly, it really is from Jamaica. Common names working the way they do, this is the most surprising origin for a "Jamaican" plant I can imagine.
3 It's looking increasingly like I'm going to just have to dump all the Euphorbia miliis, and possibly also start the Synadeniums over from a single clean cutting of each, if I can find any clean cuttings. Things have gotten desperate enough that I skipped right over the baking soda cure to the chlorothalonil, and the chlorothalonil DIDN'T EVEN HELP. I mean, seriously, if I'm going to court kidney failure for a fungus cure, then it had better goddamn cure the fungus. Instead, you wouldn't even know I'd sprayed anything, to look at some of the plants in question. Seriously tempted to return it to the ex-job for a refund, and I never do that.
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7 comments:
Beautiful plant. Unfortunately I can ONLY admire it from afar due to space, well, the lack of it. Maybe in future, when I have a greenhouse....
I can send you cuttings of both Euphorbia miliis and Synadeniums (from the ones you sent me - they are thriving). Let me know if/when you are ready.
Liza:
I haven't been able to convince myself to throw either of them out just yet, so I don't know if I'll need yours or not. But I'll keep your offer in mind and let you know.
Beautiful, dangerous (not being hardy and all) and now I want one.
Sorry to hear of your continued woes with that stubborn fungus.
That is a really cool inflorescence. Yet like all Euphorbia, something about the plant itself creeps me out. And I say that as a person who owns several plants in the genus.
I have this euphorbia puincea/ Jamican Poinsettia & adore it for its beautiful flower--
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