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The Crown of Thorns Is A Beautiful Yet Exotic Looking Plant

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The crown of thorns plant is a cousin to the poinsettia and is also known as the Christ Plant or the Christ Thorn. This plant is covered with spines and will climb if put near a trellis or something to which it can affix itself. They may grow to 6 feet tall.

There are several colors of blooms, red, yellow, salmon, pink, yellow and white. The red is the most popular and this plant will bloom continuously with very little care. As long as they are not subjected to cold temperatures, the Crown of Thorns will provide a great plant for your garden.

Although the flowers are small the leaves underneath the flowers are what make this a showy plant. One of the reasons this plant is so popular especially in southern climates is the lack of care it requires.

It can tolerate very warm temperatures and does not require a lot of water. The plant is originally from Madagascar. It is quite popular for growing in containers. For this reason it makes a great indoor plant as long as it is placed where it receives plenty of sun.

One thing to watch for on the plant is a sap that is released from the plant anywhere it is cut. This is sticky white latex and can cause inflammation, redness and itching on those who are prone to skin problems. This is also another reason this plant should not be grown anywhere close to a fish pond.

The leaves on this plant are sort of round and grow to 2 inches in length. The stems have thorns and they are painful if you do not pay attention when handling this plant. The flowers come on the plant in twos and they do not have a fragrance.

A perfect plant for the extreme southern regions of the U.S. due to the tolerance for the sun, heat and spray from salt in the air, the plant is being chosen as a type of collector's item.

The name, Crown of Thorns is associated with the crown which was placed on the head of Christ when he was crucified. This could be a possibility because it is known the plant had already been brought to the area many years before.

The plant can be trimmed and kept in the shape of a shrub or it can be planted in hanging baskets. The plant is known in China by the name Poy Sean. Poy meaning eight and Sean means saint so the belief is if you find a plant with eight flowers together in a bunch, you will have good luck.

The plant is not prone to a lot of pests

The major one would be the mealy bug and an occasional aphid . Putting a liquid soap in one quart of water to use for this purpose should be sufficient to keep the bugs away.

Do remember when planting the Crown of Thorns, you must put it in dirt that is well drained. If not, the roots will have too much moisture and this will cause all the leaves to fall off and the plant to die. An attractive plant, the Crown of Thorns will brighten up your home or garden with its blooms which last for a very long time. _________________________________________________________________

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What Other Visitors Have Said

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Frost  starstarstarstarstar
Hello ,

We had frost and our Crown of Thorn plants were damaged. Will they come back or do we just need to pull them up?

plants have thick bark  starstarstarstarstar
The term bark refers to all tissues of a woody stem or root occurring just outside of the vascular cambium, i.e., all tissues that could be stripped away ...

plants have thorns  starstarstarstarstar
RELIGIOUS: Passionflower will calm a troubled household when placed inside the home. Spanish missionaries believed the flowers were a symbol of Christ'...

My Crown of Thorns  starstarstarstarstar
I purchased a very small red crown of thorns about 10 years ago and kept it in the house for a couple of years. As it never bloomed I moved it outside ...

crown of thorns  starstarstarstar
I have a crown of thorn plant and I cannot figure it out. When I water it, a few days later I may get one or two leaves that turn yellow and fall off....

Pruning a Crown of Thorns  Not rated yet
Please tell me the best way to prune this plant. My neighbor gave me hers when she had to move and it's quite lanky and long stems going all over. I'...

The Best find at an ESTATE SALE, My Crown Of Thorns Plant  Not rated yet
I recently went to an estate sale and saw this very prickly plant that caught my attention, with little dark pink flowers,,,no one there knew anything ...

Crown of thorns plant  Not rated yet
Here is a photo of a crown of thorns plant. I spotted it in the front of a home facing the Gulf Of Mexico.


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