The spit palm (Euphorbia leuconeura), sometimes referred to as the "Madagascar jewel," is a member of the spurge family. The pretty plant with the broad, large leaves is very popular as a houseplant, but needs a lot of light and warmth. By the way, the spit palm does not have its funny name without reason: After flowering and fruit ripening, it practically "spits" the seeds so far away that some pot gardeners have wondered about miniature versions in other flower pots.
The spit palm belongs to the spurge family
Table of Contents
Show all- sorts
- Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima): popular and well-known member of the spurge family, native to South America
- Magic snow (Euphorbia hypericifolia 'Diamond Frost'): flowering plant for room, balcony or bed culture
- Coral cactus (Euphorbia lactea 'Cristata'): very unusual, comb-like growth form that is created by grafting
- Christ's thorn (Euphorbia milii): very pretty flowering but thorny plant
- Spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites): also myrtle-leaved spurge, ideal for rock gardens or pots due to its flat growth
- "Baseball Spurge" (Euphorbia obesa): spherical spurge with pretty, yellow flowers
- Pencil bush or pencil tree (Euphorbia tirucalli): also rubber hedge or milk bush, very characteristic growth form
- Devil's Backbone (Euphorbia tithymaloides): Often sold incorrectly as "Green Lightning Bamboo".
- Column euphorbia (Euphorbia trigona): characteristic, stiffly upright, columnar growth with many lateral shoots
origin
The stem-forming and unbranched growing spit palm is native to Madagascar. The "eighth continent" off the east coast of Africa is known for its wealth of numerous animal and plant species that can only be found here and nowhere else. An estimated 80 percent of Madagascan flora and fauna are endemic, i. H. unique and native only to Madagascar. The spit palm, occasionally also available under the name "spring palm", also belongs to this illustrious circle.
use
In this country, the spit palm is only cultivated as a houseplant. Only in the summer months can the plant go to a sheltered place outside on very warm days.
growth and size
The species grows as a shrub, but forms a succulent, angular trunk. Thanks to this, the plant is perfectly adapted to the hot and dry climate of its African homeland and should also be cultivated indoors when it is dry and warm. In its natural location, the spit palm reaches a height of up to 180 centimeters, but in pot culture it usually remains significantly smaller with an average height of between 40 and 100 centimeters. The reason for this is the taproot, which naturally cannot develop too deeply in a planter. But this is a prerequisite for growth. The trunk is dark green and no more than two inches in diameter.
The plant usually grows unbranched and quite sparse, but there is a little trick that can be used to stimulate the formation of side shoots: To do this, score the trunk in several places with a sharp and clean knife, making the shallow cuts about one centimeter long . Other side trunks with leaves grow from this, so that the spit palm looks more luxuriant. However, this method only works if the spit palm is at least 50 centimeters high.
However, be sure to wear gloves when cutting, as the escaping milky sap is poisonous.
flowering and flowering time
Euphorbia leuconeura develops greenish-white, very small cyathia in the leaf axils, mostly during the winter months. These are inconspicuous, cup-shaped pseudo flowers that are characteristic of spurge plants. The spit palm is self-pollinating, so it does not need another plant for pollination.
leaves
Similar to a conventional palm tree, the leaves, which are up to 15 centimeters long, grow like a propeller in the upper trunk area. They form a kind of roof there. The individual, dark green leaves feel leathery. The finely drawn, white-colored leaf veins are particularly pretty. Don't worry if the spit palm sheds some or even many of its leaves in winter. This is a completely natural behavior, because the plant is now going into hibernation. With spring, Euphorbia leuconeura will sprout again from the top.
fruit
If the flowers are fertilized, small capsule fruits form. As soon as these are ripe, they literally explode and throw the spherical, dark brown seeds inside up to several meters away.
Poisonous
Like all spurge plants, the spit palm is highly poisonous. In principle, all parts of the plant contain the toxic ingredients (e.g. triterpene saponins and diterpene esters), but the milky sap is particularly dangerous. This occurs with the smallest injury to the plant and can lead to skin irritation, allergic reactions and even severe eczema. Eating plant parts can be fatal. For this reason, the spit palm should definitely not be cultivated in households with small children and/or pets such as cats and dogs.
Cats in particular are known to enjoy nibbling on indoor plants. Unfortunately, the natural instinct of the animals often fails, so that they do not recognize poisonous plants such as the spit palm as such.
When handling the spit palm and when doing maintenance work such as repotting or pruning, you should always act carefully and wear protective gloves and safety goggles if necessary.
location
As a location, Euphorbia leuconeura favors a bright and warm place without drafts. The plant does not tolerate direct sunlight and often reacts to it with sunburn. The plant does well directly on the window sill, as long as the window is not directly south-facing and, if necessary, can be shaded over the midday hours. Since the plant can get quite large in comparison, the space on the window sill will sooner or later become too small. Now she can stand on a piece of furniture or directly on the floor, as long as there is enough light and - very important - not cold feet.
During the warm summer months, the spit palm feels most comfortable at 20 to 24 °C. In winter, however, it enters a phase of dormancy, during which it likes to be much cooler at temperatures between 12 and 14 °C. A little heated and therefore cool bedroom is now the important location. If relocation is not possible (e.g. because the spit palm is in the only room that is not accessible to the cat / dog anyway), Euphorbia leuconeura survives the winter months in normally heated rooms and without suffering any major damage.
It is also important to turn the pot regularly when cultivating this plant, as the spit palm aligns itself very quickly with the sun and would grow crooked without this measure.
soil / substrate
Commercial soil is ideal for cacti or indoor plants. However, this must be free of peat, as the spit palm is very sensitive to it. Unfortunately, many substrate mixtures - especially the cheap ones from the supermarket - contain cheap peat, which is why you should take a close look at the composition before buying.
Good and cheap potting soil, which is not only suitable for the spit palm, can be mixed with little effort. All you need is:
50 percent coconut fiber, soak in a bucket of water
20 percent compost, high quality
15 percent fine sand, e.g. B. play sand
15 percent vermiculite or perlite, alternatively potting soil (of course peat-free!)
This creates a loose soil that can store water well and helps prevent waterlogging due to its permeability. Exactly important for a succulent plant like the spit palm.
pour
Euphorbia leuconeura does not tolerate waterlogging at all and should therefore be watered carefully. As a rule, it is sufficient to water the plant once or twice a week, and less frequently during the winter months, with well-stale tap water. Additional watering may only be necessary during the very hot and dry summer months. Remove excess irrigation water from the planter or saucer immediately and ensure good drainage in the pot. A drainage hole at the bottom of the pot should not be missing, this should be protected with pieces of pottery shards from silting up and thus clogging.
Even if the spit palm does not like waterlogging, its substrate should not dry out. A finger test can be used to check when the right time for watering has come. In general, the potting soil must be superficially dry before you reach for the watering can again. However, concrete statements about the frequency and amount of water required can hardly be made, as these variables depend on location, temperature and season.
Fertilize
Commercial cactus fertilizer, which you give the Madagascar jewel about every six weeks together with the irrigation water, is ideal for the needs-based supply of nutrients. It is only fertilized between April and September, in the second half of the year the plant is practically dormant and does not need any fertilization during this time. The only exception to this rule is if you cultivate the spit palm warm all year round and do not keep it cold. In this case, there is no resting phase and the plant has to be cared for like in summer.
To cut
At best, leave the spit palm alone and don't cut around on it. You can only stimulate branching by scratching the trunk. However, if the plant has grown too big for you, you can still cut it back. However, be sure to wear gloves and old clothes, avoid splashes in your face and especially in your eyes! The best time to cut back depends on whether you want the plant to continue growing more or less - and what you intend to do with the clippings.
Euphorbia leuconeura that is cut in the fall slows down its growth potential, while cutting in the spring stimulates growth.
multiply
In nature, the spit palm reproduces almost exclusively via seeds. Even in captivity, seed reproduction works almost automatically. Collect the tiny seeds and place them in small pots with growing substrate. If kept warm and humid - preferably in a greenhouse or similar - they germinate quickly. You can make it even easier if you position a few pots with growing substrate around the blooming spit palm: seeds that fall in here grow into strong plants almost by themselves. However, if you want, you can put the clippings in a pot with potting soil as cuttings and keep them well moist. With a bit of luck, the parts of the plant will take root and a new, strong holly palm will develop from it.
Caution: Like all parts of the plant, the seeds are also poisonous and should therefore be collected carefully in households with children or pets.
Transplanting / repotting
Repot the spit palm about every two to three years, ideally in fresh substrate and in a larger pot. Only then does it reach the possible growth height of about one meter. You can be generous when choosing pots, because the new planter should be two to three sizes larger, at least for younger plants. The project works best if you move the plant directly after the hibernation. At this point, the leaves begin to sprout again, so that Euphorbia leuconeura can draw new strength from the substrate.
hibernate
During the winter months you should cultivate the spit palm at 12 to 14 °C in a bright but not draughty place and neither fertilize nor water excessively during this time. If the plant sheds its leaves, this is normal and does not indicate a disease. The foliage will sprout fresh in spring.
However, all of these measures are not absolutely necessary, since Euphorbia leuconeura overwinters well and without damage even in a warm environment - as long as you continue to water and fertilize it. The light supply must also be secured in the dark season. If your spit palm is often on the balcony or terrace in the summer, bring it indoors in good time: so that the plant feels comfortable, the outside temperature should not drop below 12 °C.
diseases and pests
The spit palm is considered to be very robust and resistant. Only watering that is too frequent and/or too plentiful causes problems for it, and then it develops rot over time. But dry phases that are too long are also harmful and also lead to the death of the plant. So make sure that the soil is neither wet nor dry.
Yellow spots on the leaves are a clear indication of a location that is too sunny, because this is sunburn. Move the spit palm to another, less exposed spot.
Other diseases or more common pests are not known.
tips
If possible, do not cultivate the spit palm alone, but together with several conspecifics. Perhaps you would also like to design a kind of "Madagascar corner" in your home. In this you arrange typical Malagasy houseplants such as the Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), the Madagascar palm (Pachypodium lamerei), the golden leaf palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) or the Madagascar jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda).
sorts
Different varieties of Euphorbia leuconeura are basically not known. However, there are numerous other spurge plants, some of which look quite similar and are also easy to keep indoors:
The spurge plants listed are native to different continents, but all have similar needs in terms of location, substrate and care.