Euphorbia lophogona is an easy-care houseplant with a unique way of seed dispersal. Due to its beautiful leaf veins and shade tolerance, the plant, native to Madagascar, makes an excellent indoor companion. The spit palm's easy care and stability make it very popular.
Spit palm care: tips and advice
The spit palm is a succulent shrub or even a small tree that grows up to 1.9 m tall. Although it is often confused with a cactus, it actually belongs to the Euphorbia family. Find out how to care for this Malagasy houseplant here.
What is Euphorbia lophogona?
The spit palm can reach a height of 40 to 100 cm in a pot. It has shiny, light green and elliptical leaves that grow up to 15 cm long and are leathery. The stems are unbranched or sparsely branched. The spit palm produces beautiful flowers that are usually in stems. Its actual flowers are yellowish-green and are surrounded by pink to white bracts. Their flowering time is in spring and summer.
When the flowers are fertilized, small capsule fruits form. As soon as they are ripe, they literally explode and throw the spherical, dark brown seeds inside them up to several meters away. The seeds germinate quickly, and soon the first plants will sprout in the pots of all the houseplants nearby. If you don't want the plant to self-seed, cut off the seed pods.
Spit palm care: The most important tips
This houseplant is very adaptable and easy to grow indoors.
- Light and temperature:Euphorbia lophogona prefers a partially shaded location to thrive. But it can also tolerate almost any amount of sunlight. This plant can survive at a minimum temperature of 11°C to 14°C and an optimal temperature of 28°C to 32°C.
- Humidity:This houseplant is perfectly happy with dry indoor air, so there is no need to increase the humidity. However, it can easily tolerate the higher humidity that most houseplants require.
- Irrigation:The spit palm does not tolerate overwatering. From spring to fall, when the plant is actively growing, water it with room temperature water whenever the top few inches of soil feel dry. In winter, you should only water it when the plant shows signs of wilting.
- Boden:The ideal soil for the plant should be well-drained. In nature, the spit palm prefers poor, sandy soils. So you can grow them at home in the same commercial soil as other succulents. Or make your own mixture of sand, peat and fertile soil.
- Fertilize:To stimulate Euphorbia lophogona in spring, it should be fertilized weekly with cactus and succulent fertilizer throughout the summer and until mid-autumn. Alternatively, you can use a commercial potted flower fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus and potassium but highly diluted.
- Repotting:The young seedlings are best planted in small pots with drainage holes. As they grow, transplant them into a larger container every two or three years without damaging the root system.
- Support:The older Euphorbia lophogona gets, the more the trunk expands. For this reason, it is recommended to tie them to a support. This way the succulent is exposed to less stress. Without support, the stems are under a lot of pressure and they can break under their own weight.
Common Spittle Palm Care Problems
The spit palm is considered to be very robust and resistant. Watering too frequently and too abundantly can damage them. But dry periods that are too long are also harmful and lead to the death of the plant. So make sure that the ground is neither wet nor dry.
- Leaf fall:If the leaves fall off, this indicates a lack of water. The amount and frequency of irrigation should be regulated.
- Yellow leaves:If the leaves turn yellow before they fall, it is a sign of overwatering or temperature fluctuations. Regulate watering and avoid drafts.
- Thick trunk and small leaves:The lack of light may be the cause. So move your plant to a brighter location.
- The spots on the leaves and the black crustThere are signs of sunburn on the trunk. Place the spit palm in a shady location.
- White spots (powdery mildew):The plant should be placed so that the air can circulate around it and the excess water evaporates in a timely manner.
Houseplant toxicity
The spit palm is highly poisonous. Basically all parts includedthe plant's poisonous onesIngredients, however, the milky juice is particularly dangerous. This occurs even with the slightest damage to the plant and can lead to skin irritation, allergic reactions and even burns.
If plant parts are consumed, it can be fatal. Keep this plant out of the reach of children and pets.
When repotting and pruning the plant, always use caution and wear protective gloves and goggles. If you do get some of the milky juice on your skin, just wash it off.
