WorldFloraDB - Euphorbia balsamifera

Characteristics

A half succulent shrub. It grows 2-4 m high and spreads 90 cm wide. The stems are spineless and it has many branches. The stems become gnarled and grey. The leaves are pale green and occur in rings. They are near the tips of the branches. The leaves are 3-5 cm long by 6 mm wide. They are light green or bluish green. They do not have stalks and often fall off. The flowers occur singly. They are greenish-yellow. The fruit are round 3 part capsules. They are 10-12 mm across.

More

Leaves deciduous, or evergreen on plants growing in especially favourable situations.

A low shrub with glabrous succulent branches

Commonly grown in hedges in dry regions

Life form

perennial

Growth form

shrub

Growth support

free-standing

Foliage retention

Sexuality

monoecy

Pollination

-

Spread

-

Mature width (meter)

1.2

Mature height (meter)

2.25 - 3.0

Root system

-

Rooting depth (meter)

-

Root diameter (meter)

-

Flower color

Blooming months

Jan	Feb	Mar
Apr	May	Jun
Jul	Aug	Sep
Oct	Nov	Dec

Fruit color

-

Fruiting months

-

Nitrogen fixer

-

Photosynthetic pathway

-

Environment

A tropical plant. It needs bright light but not intense heat. It grows in the Sahel. It often grows on cliff tops and dry slopes near the sea. It can grow in sandy sites. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 100-600 mm. It cannot tolerate frost. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.

More

Dry sandy sites. Clayey soil on plains with Euphorbia officinarum; sandy-clayey soil; compact sand overlying laterite or shallow sandstone formation; scree; rocky limestone and gypseous soils with low open scrub vegetation.

Light
Soil humidity
Soil texture
Soil acidity	-
Soil nutriment	-
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

Caution: All Euphorbias or spurges have irritating sap and many have chemicals that can cause cancer. The shoots and leaves are eaten cooked. The juice is thickened to a jelly and eaten.

Uses	animal food environmental use food gene source material medicinal poison social use
Edible	gums leaves shoots stems
Therapeutic use	-
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

It can be grown from cuttings. It can be used for hedges.

Mode	cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days)	10 - 15
Germination temperacture (C°)	21 - 26
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	soaking
Minimum temperature (C°)	-7
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-