Hi Marie, I always drool over your pictures! I have a little collection but nothing like yours. I believe your green thumb has little thorns all over it! I would like your advice. I have been able to easily root COT (Euphorbia milii) and have them in pots all over my yard. They add such reliable color. They are never not in bloom. How can you not love that? All of the plants in the photos below came from single red and pink plants. The problem is that some of them are getting a little leggy and top heavy. Would you prune these? If so, where along the stem would you make the cut? I have noticed, from a few COT that got frozen back, that no matter where the freeze damage stops along the stem, new growth is almost always (but not 100%) from the roots. Most of the time (but not 100%), there is no new growth along the healthy branches. New growth comes up straight up from the soil line even though there are healthy branches. So that makes me wonder if should I cut these back off near the soil? It doesn't seem like there is any advantage to leaving 3-4" of stem because it will be left just waving there in the air with no leaves or flowers. I'm afraid it will be an eyesore sticking up in the middle of the plant. What do you think? Anyone have any good info about cutting back COT? The Martha Stewart video linked below is just completely worthless. She hacks this poor lady's COT up to pieces, doesn't address the lady's questions and really doesn't have a clue. I swear Martha is just shooting from the hip as she goes along and she as much as says so: ================ Martha: I'm going to trim off this dead wood...Oh look... it just breaks right off. Martha: Don't you think it is a little tall? Sweet lady: Definitely. Martha: ...so maybe we can cut it down a little bit... there's nothing happening down here... so if we just sort-of cut it off here... Sweet lady: Will it sprout down at the bottom? Martha: I don't know if it will or not but we'll see. (You don't know? We'll see?! ) And then Martha runs off with all of the cuttings. Of course, we never do see. There is no post-op follow-up. ================ So Marie and all of you experts, what would you do? Thanks, Carol in Jacksonville Here is a link that might be useful: Martha Stewart - Pruning and Propagating Crown of Thorns Plants

Gorgeous! I've never seen such an awesome collection of different kinds all in one place! They're just lovely. A friend of mine has the cutest little Crown of Thorns, which she neglects like crazy. And still, it rewards her with little red flowers all year round! That was the first time I'd seen that plant. I've found a seller on eBay who has both of the kinds I've been looking for: one with tiny red flowers, and one with larger creamy yellow flowers. I'm traveling a bit over the next month, but once I'm home for good, they're MINE. :)

Hi Planto, Looks good, I'm guessing it'll be just fine. You'll see, some outdoors, fresh air, abundant water & fertilizer & bet you'll see how well it'll grow in. All of mine grow in unobstructed west window -- my maximum direct sunlight, the water cutting somewhat shaded by a taller plant. (PS to above, where I meant to say 'advice' I'd been given about abundant water & fertilizer.) I only recently put a cutting in water 'cause I've failed repeatedly at rooting them in mix (at least 3 times). Given that, one of the elders in my plant society reminded me to do it in water. Well, it's doing so well, I plan to leave it there. Bright is fine for yours, either indoors or out, (plastic or glass) don't know that it matters, maybe experiment trying both? Mine are smaller since indoors, but here's a couple. My red is quite leggy, given me that way, I'm cutting it back 1 arm at a time. This is one's small enough that's a styrofoam coffee cup (came that way, I just changed the mix). Happy little thing Hope I answered everything.

Hi, Rina - Nice to see you! In my original post, you'll see that I cut off half of one tall leggy stalk as a trial & error experiment. I then cut that top piece in half and potted them both after 1 week, being sure to maintain the same orientation on the headless piece. The part with a head (flowers & leaves) never lost a leaf and rooted perfectly. The headless piece never rooted after 3 months so I threw it out. I want to know if perhaps that was a fluke ... if perhaps the headless pieces do root in time and throw up new shoots (new plants!) from the base. Or do they just NOT root at all. I am being annoyingly specific because I don't want to ruin my mother's millis. When I came here to be her caregiver last year (she's 82 and living with vascular dementia), the gardens were overgrown and abandoned. I've restored everything for her and we're surrounded by flowers again. She is always so happy in her garden but can only water now....and enjoy her flowers, which makes us both very happy.