How do you take care of Euphorbia Tithymaloides?

Euphorbia Tithymaloides, also known as the “devil’s backbone,” is a succulent plant native to Mexico. It is a member of the Euphorbia family, which includes cacti and succulents.

The plant has long, thin, green leaves arranged in a rosette pattern. The leaves are covered in small, sharp spines. The plant produces small, yellow flowers.

Euphorbia Tithymaloides is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to care for. It is tolerant of a wide range of conditions, including drought and heat. The plant can be grown in a pot or in the ground. It prefers well-drained soil.

In addition to the Devil’s Backbone plant, it is also known as the Zigzag plant, Redbird cactus flower or Redbird flower etc.

That is only a partial list. Additional common names can be found in various locations.

Here are some pointers for caring for this one-of-a-kind plant.

Size and Growth

The Devil’s Backbone plant is a shrub that can grow to a height of three to four feet. The strong branches and stems have a zig-zag pattern and produce small, oval-shaped leaves with sharp points.

When the plant is still growing, its leaves may not be extremely thick. As the plant matures, it can get rather bushy.

It is not a fast-growing plant. It grows at a medium rate and may take several years to maturity.

Flowering and Fragrance

The Latin name Pedilanthus (“Slipper Flower”) comes from the small slipper-shaped flowers produced by Devil’s backbone.

The plant blooms in the summer. The flowers are small, do not persist long, and do not emit a perfume.

The orangish-red flowers emerge from the tips of the stems on little, slipper-shaped bracts.

Temperature and Light Requirements of the Devil’s Backbone Plant

Give this succulent plant plenty of sunlight. It grows best in an area that receives sun throughout the day but not direct sunlight. Look for areas with some shade to some sun.

USDA hardiness zones 9–11 is suggested for planting. If the temperature falls below 40°F during the winter, bring the plant inside.

It is a tropical plant that requires a combination of sunlight and moisture, but it may grow inside at room temperature if kept in a humid environment.

TIP: Mist the leaves and branches with a spray bottle to increase humidity.

Zigzag Plant

The zigzag plant is commonly grown as a houseplant and is a relatively simple plant to grow and care for. It’s also simple to grow from cuttings.

Light

This plant thrives under bright indirect sunshine. If you place it in a bright window, a lightweight curtain or slatted blinds in the half-open position will provide the necessary solar exposure.

Excessive sunlight may scorch the fragile leaves, so keep an eye on it and move it or create some shade if this occurs.

Soil

Any rich potting mix will suffice for cultivating this plant, as long as the drainage is adequate. Adding vermiculite, peat moss, and sand will help keep the soil moist but not soggy.

Using an unglazed clay container with drainage holes in the bottom will help to ensure that the soil drains properly.

Water

Despite its tropical origins, the zigzag plant dislikes moist soil. If your house is dry, misting it will help it stay healthy and will imitate the plant’s preferred natural environment.

Humidity and temperature

As with most tropical plants, the zigzag plant does not withstand cold well, so keep it indoors and away from drafty windows.

It loves temperatures between 60- and 70-degrees Fahrenheit, but can survive temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 80 degrees Fahrenheit without issue.

Fertilizer

A little fertilizer in the spring and then every three weeks or so after that can help it produce good, healthy bracts in the summer. Fertilizing should be avoided during the autumn and winter months since the plant goes dormant.

Grooming and maintenance

Pinch out the plant’s tips on a regular basis to keep it bushy. Pinching the tips promotes thicker growth.

Plants require no special grooming other than pinching.

Transplanting

Use a commercial cactus mix or make your own potting soil mixture to keep this plant healthy. You could also wish to add some peat moss to help absorb excess water.

Every two to three years, the plant should be repotted in a well-drained soil mix. Prepare the new pot beforehand while transplanting.

You may easily remove the plant from its container, shake the dirt clumps away from the roots, and place it in the new pot.

Pruning

Pruning a zigzag plant requires relatively little attention to detail. Simply clip away troublesome branches with clean garden shears and trim back the plant yearly in late winter.

Are Euphorbia Tithymaloides poisonous?

The plant’s roots, stems, and leaves are known to be toxic.

Euphorbol (a complex terpene) and other diterpene esters are found in certain regions of the plant. These are recognized carcinogens as well.

The leaves and stems of the plant also contain beta-sitosterol, cycloartenone, octacosanol, and oxime, all of which have therapeutic and poisonous characteristics.

Even little amounts (a few drops) of Euphorbia tithymaloides root juice can irritate mucosal membranes. When ingested, the mucosal membranes of the stomach and intestines are irritated, resulting in nausea and vomiting.

Skin discomfort, inflammation, and even blisters result with topical application. When applied topically to the eye, it causes significant pain, keratoconjunctivitis, and decreased visual acuity.

Even a few seeds can produce strong and continuous vomiting as well as severe diarrhea.

If latex or root juice gets on the victim’s skin, he or she should wash it promptly with soap and warm water. If latex or juice gets into the eye, washing with fresh water should be the first step.

Topical steroids are prescribed for use on the skin or in the eyes. Intravenous fluids are frequently used to compensate for fluid loss caused by vomiting and diarrhea.

How do Euphorbia Tithymaloides grow?

Growing the plant is straightforward, and propagating it is much easier. Simply cut a 4-to-6-inch (10-15 cm) portion of the plant’s stem. Allow the cut end to callus for a few days before placing it in a perlite-filled planter.

Keep the perlite mildly moist until the stems root. Then, repot the fresh plants in suitable houseplant potting soil. The care of devil’s backbone infants is the same as that of mature plants.

Growing Pedilanthus Indoors:

The Devil’s backbone houseplant prefers bright indirect sunshine. Plant it in full sun in the fall and winter, but give it some shade from the blistering hot rays in the spring and summer. Simply changing the slats on your blinds can keep the tips of the leaves from sizzling.

Water the plants when the top few inches (8 cm) of soil feels dry. Keep it moist but not soggy.

The plant grows the best when fertilized once a month with a half-diluted fertilizer solution. During the dormant seasons of autumn and winter, the Devil’s backbone houseplant does not require feeding.

When growing Pedilanthus inside, choose a spot in the house that is free of drafts. It is not tolerant of chilly gusts, which might damage the growing tips.

Is Euphorbia Tithymaloides a succulent?

Yes, it is. Euphorbia tithymaloides is a succulent perennial spurge. The plant is an erect shrub with the scientific name Pedilanthus tithymaloides.

The genus Pedilanthus, on the other hand, has been incorporated into the genus Euphorbia and is now more appropriately known by its new name (Euphorbia tithymaloides).

What is the common name of Euphorbia Tithymaloides?

Gardeners and the general public use a variety of common names for Euphorbia tithymaloides.

Redbird flower, devil’s backbone, Redbird cactus, Jewbush, buck-thorn, cimora misha, Christmas candle, fiddle flower, ipecacuahana, Jacob’s ladder, Japanese poinsettia, Jew’s slipper, milk-hedge, myrtle-leaved spurge, Padus-leaved clipper plant, red slipper spurge, slipper flower.

Other names for it include gin-ryu (Japan); pokok lipan and penawar lipan (Indonesia); airi, baire, and agia “rang chita” (Bengal), (India); aperejo (Yoruba); sapatinho do diabo (Brazil); tamo real (Cuba and Puerto Rico); pantoufle (France); and zapatilla del dia (Mexico).

Is Euphorbia Tithymaloides an indoor plant?

Prior to 1688, Euphorbia tithymaloides was introduced as a garden plant. It was discovered growing in a garden for the first time in Amsterdam. It is generally used as a border plant in the garden, although select cultivars can also be grown indoors.

Gardeners are advised to wear goggles, gloves, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants due to the plant’s toxicity.

Seeds or cuttings can be used for propagation. Cuttings should be made above a joint, 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) long, and planted in sandy, nutrient-rich soil before being planted.

Cuttings should be taken between March and April, or between June and July, and should be taken from the middle or top of the main stem.

The plant’s blossoms attract hummingbirds. Cabbage worms love the plant’s leaves in particular.

Euphorbia tithymaloides has been planted at landfills, toxic waste sites, and along roadsides since it is one of the few plants that can grow in these harsh settings.

Are Euphorbia tithymaloides poisonous?

Yes, the plant’s roots, stems, and leaves are known to be toxic.

Symptoms: The sap is an irritant to the skin. Vomiting and diarrhea can result from ingestion. Contact with sap is likely to produce pain and redness in the eyes. All eye exposures should be followed by a 15-minute rinse with water.

What is the common name of Euphorbia tithymaloides?

The common names include; Zigzag Plant, Devil’s Backbone, Redbird Cactus, Redbird Flower, Jacob’s Ladder, Milkbush, Slipper Flower, Slipperplant, and Caribbean Slipper Spurg.

What is the euphorbia tithymaloides benefits?

Use in medicine

The root has a strong emetic effect. Extracted from the plant’s latex is pedilanthain, a proteolytic enzyme that has been demonstrated in studies to be helpful against intestinal worms and reduce inflammation when consumed.

A galactose-specific lectin was isolated from the plant’s latex in 1995, and preliminary evidence suggests that it could be effective in the treatment of diabetic mellitus.

Tea made from the leaves has been used to treat asthma, chronic coughing, laryngitis, mouth ulcers, and venereal disease in traditional medicine.

Abortifacient tea made from the root has been used. Calluses, earaches, bug stings, ringworm, skin cancer, toothache, umbilical hernias, and warts have all been treated topically with latex.

None of these applications have been proven to be successful by science. A few drops of latex are mixed with milk and used as an emetic in the West Indies.

Other benefits

The plant is also known as “cimora misha,” “timora misha,” or “planta magica” in Peru. It is occasionally added to drinks made from Trichocereus cacti that contain mescaline (although Euphorbia tithymaloides has no known psychoactive properties).

The species has been dubbed “rang chita” in Bengal, India.

The plant’s fast growth rate, combined with its ability to grow in relatively toxic soils, prompted scientists in India to look into its potential as a “petrocrop,” or plant that could produce biofuel compounds for internal combustion engines.

How do you Propagate Euphorbia Tithymaloides?

Euphorbia Tithymaloides, also known as the Devil’s Backbone, is a succulent plant native to Mexico. It is a member of the Spurge family, which includes over 2,000 species of flowering plants.

The plant gets its name from its unique shape, which resembles a human spine. Euphorbia Tithymaloides is a relatively easy plant to care for. It prefers a sunny location and well-drained soil. The plant is drought tolerant and does not need to be watered often.

When watering, allow the soil to dry out completely between watering. Euphorbia Tithymaloides can be propagated from stem cuttings.