Synonyms:

There are not synonyms for this plant

Habitat:

E. susannae is native to Cape Provinces where the plant grows on sandy and stony ground. In wild the plant can grow underground or under the shade of bushes. This plant is commonly hybridized with Euphorbia Bupleurifolia to form Euphorbia Cocklebur, one of the most popular hybrids of Euphorbias.

Description:

E. susannae is a rare succulent very appreciated by collectors belonging to the Euphorbiaceae botanical family. The plant has a shrubby habit and tends to grow in clumps. The plant can reach up to 10 cm in height and 30 cm in diameter. The stem is erect, cylindrical, fleshy and heavily branched and is bright green in color. The stem is arranged in many ribs made of tubercles. The tubercles are fleshy, tapering to the apex, armed with a short, brownish spine. Blooming occurs during the spring-summer period, the plant produces at the apex of the tubercles some green to brown Ciathya. Ciathya are the typical inflorescence of the Euphorbia, it is an inflorescence consisting of a cuplike cluster of modified leaves enclosing unisexual flowers. Each cup consists of five lobes with the tiny flowers in the middle. The fruits are purple and the seeds are round and purple red. Pay attention to the bark of the plant: the bark, when cut, releases a useful sap to the plant to protect itself from fungal attacks but toxic for humans!

Cultivation:

This is a fast growing plant, easy to cultivate. The best sun-exposure is in bright place but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light in the hottest periods. The plant does not like temperatures below 8°C so it needs to be placed indoors in the coldest periods. The perfect soil is a well-drained soil that let the water to drain away and avoid root rot. To achieve this feature, you can mix the pumice soil, clay and soil. Remember to use a perforating pot to drain excess water. Watering is very important for this species and should be done well: during the vegetative period you can water the plant (every 7 days), checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again; in winter you should stop the watering to allow the plant to enter dormancy. If you want a faster and lush growth you can fertilize the plant once a month during the growing season with the specific fertilizers for succulents; stop fertilizing throughout the winter. You should repot the plant every 2 years in a pot 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil. Be careful to red spiders and mealy bugs.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by cutting or by seed. By cutting you can make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase the success of propagation you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. For cuttings it is recommended temperatures around 20 °C. By seed it is very simple to propagate the plant, it is enough to sow the seed in a sandy loam soil and keep it with a high level of humidity and at temperature of 14 C°.

Curiosity:

Species of the Euphorbiacee family normally if are damaged, exude a white milky sap, called latex. Many plants produce latex, but in the Euphorbiacee this latex is often poisonous and may irritate skin. The poisonousness is due to some alkaloids so it is best to keep the plants away from children or pets. The specific name is due to Dr. Marloth who described the plant and named it like his wife.

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