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A mature Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) growing in a residential garden bedShrubs

In the landscape

AccentBarrierBorderContainerHouseplantDrought tolerant

Data sources

Crown of Thorns

Euphorbia milii

Crown of Thorns is a shrub, hardy in USDA zones 10-12, that matures to about 3-6 ft × 1.5-3 ft. It does best in full sun with low water needs in well-drained and occasionally-dry soil. Expect yellow, green and red blooms in fall, spring, summer and winter. It stands up well to deer, drought and dry soil, grows happily in containers.

USDA zones
10-12
Sun
Full sun
Water
Low
Mature size
3-6 ft × 1.5-3 ft
Spacing
3 feet-6 feet
Maintenance
Medium
Soil
Well-drained, Occasionally-dry
Foliage
Green
Bloom color
Yellow, Green, Red
Bloom season
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Tough against
Deer, Drought, Dry soil, Pollution, Rabbits
Watch out for
Can irritate skin on contact, Spines and thorns
Toxic to
People, Children, Dogs, Cats, Horses
Native to
Madagascar

Freeze survival

Will it survive your winters?

We score Crown of Thorns’s freeze-trouble range against the real coldest nights your area has recorded.

Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.

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