Botanical Information

Foliage or Flower Plant

contributed by Mary Prud'homme former LCGC president.

EUPHORBIA leucocephala

Euphorbia is a very varied genus of about 2000 species. Pictured here is a miniature white Poinsettia, commonly called “Flor de Nino” or at Lakeside, “Pascuita”. It is an attractive tropical shrub that grows 2-3m tall. It has pinkish stems bearing narrow oblanceolate leaves and a profusion of small pale yellow flowers literally obscured by masses of small white bracts, 2-4cm long. It blooms at the Christmas season in Southern Mexico. It makes a very pretty cut flower.

Like many Euphorbia plants, it has a poisonous white liquid, so when it is cut the stems must be sealed by burning with a gas flame before placing them in water.