Euphorbia balsamifera

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Geoff
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Euphorbia balsamifera

#1

Post by Geoff »

Euphorbia shrub native to the Canary Islands. All photos from the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena California

Euphorbia balsamifera adenensis H again.jpg
Euphorbia balsamifera adenensis H again.jpg (181.64 KiB) Viewed 8248 times
Euphorbia balsamifera blooming H.jpg
Euphorbia balsamifera blooming H.jpg (161.66 KiB) Viewed 8248 times
Euphorbia balsamifera entire plant winter H.jpg
Euphorbia balsamifera entire plant winter H.jpg (129.54 KiB) Viewed 8248 times
Euphorbia balsamifera huge grigs.jpg
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Euphorbia balsamifera TR.jpg
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Euphorbia balsamifiera.jpg
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Euphorbia balsamifera closer shot of cyathia.jpg
Euphorbia balsamifera closer shot of cyathia.jpg (89.54 KiB) Viewed 8248 times
Euphorbia balsimifera adenensis.jpg
Euphorbia balsimifera adenensis.jpg (94.52 KiB) Viewed 8248 times
Euphorbia balsamifera fllwrs.jpg
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Euphorbia balsamifera cyathea.jpg
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Euphorbia balsamifera cyathia closest.jpg
Euphorbia balsamifera cyathia closest.jpg (88.74 KiB) Viewed 8248 times
Euphorbia balsamifera flower.jpg
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euphorbia balsamifera v adenensis.jpg
euphorbia balsamifera v adenensis.jpg (70.48 KiB) Viewed 8248 times
Euphorbia balsamifera fruits.jpg
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Euphorbia balsamifera full fruit May.jpg
Euphorbia balsamifera full fruit May.jpg (101.06 KiB) Viewed 8248 times
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Geoff
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#2

Post by Geoff »

Fairly cold tolerant species... at least down to around 25F
bigdaddyscondition
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#3

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

That's good to know, Geoff, about the cold hardiness. Another succulent enthusiast here in the Los Angeles area gave me a potted little specimen, and I was wondering where on my property I should plant it. Most of our winters at my location here in the IE have nights as low as 28 degrees, and rarely lower. I must have missed seeing the Huntington Botanical Gardens specimens when I was there recently (my wife and I just joined as members). If E. balsamifera lives there, it can live at my place about 31 miles east of there.
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#4

Post by Stan »

bigdaddyscondition wrote:That's good to know, Geoff, about the cold hardiness. Another succulent enthusiast here in the Los Angeles area gave me a potted little specimen, and I was wondering where on my property I should plant it. Most of our winters at my location here in the IE have nights as low as 28 degrees, and rarely lower. I must have missed seeing the Huntington Botanical Gardens specimens when I was there recently (my wife and I just joined as members). If E. balsamifera lives there, it can live at my place about 31 miles east of there.
EZ grow for you. Fast too. I had one up here in the bay area. Gave it away...should have kept it.
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
bigdaddyscondition
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#5

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

Any ideas on how much sun it should get in my yard? I would think full sun, but I'm not sure how much sun its gets in habitat.
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Paul S
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#6

Post by Paul S »

It is a coastal species with no other large vegetation around - full sun from dawn to dusk in habitat. Happy with wind. Summer dormant - drops most of its leaves when dry.
bigdaddyscondition
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#7

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

Sounds perfect for the Inland Empire where I live. Thanks everybody for the advice.
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#8

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

Paul S wrote:It is a coastal species with no other large vegetation around - full sun from dawn to dusk in habitat. Happy with wind. Summer dormant - drops most of its leaves when dry.
So...this is the way E. balsamifera looks after a hot, dry spell in late summer in southern California? Maybe I just need a little handholding, but I sure don't want to lose this specimen.
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Paul S
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#9

Post by Paul S »

The time to worry is of it looks like that after a wet winter :)

Edit - have to say the leaves don't look right for balsmifera. Any pics of the plant in happier times?
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#10

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

Paul S wrote: Edit - have to say the leaves don't look right for balsmifera. Any pics of the plant in happier times?
This photo was taken April 4 of this year, maybe a week or so after I transplanted it from a pot. The leaf shape on my plant is different from some of the photos in this thread and others online. The habitat of this species includes land masses separated by oceans, so I suspect maybe there's some variation among different cultivars, i.e. Canary Islands, Arabian peninsula, Chad, etc.
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bigdaddyscondition
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#11

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

Well, we had a pretty dry winter here in the Inland Empire. My Euphorbia balsamifera has only declined, ever so gradually (see pics). I've tried watering it, not watering it, sparingly applied 20-9-9 fertilizer, talking to it...no visible results.

This plant has never really looked like the specimens shown in the gallery here by Geoff. They are all in Huntington Botanical Gardens, Geoff says, and my yard where this specimen lives is about 31 miles due east of there, at a slightly higher elevation. My plant (see original photo above) started out growing vigorously, but never developing abundant foliage, and then it just stopped. I'm beginning to think my plant has some genetic problem or other problem it had from the beginning. Any suggestions for life support before I remove the plant and start over with a new specimen?
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bigdaddyscondition
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Re: Euphorbia balsamifera

#12

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

I just got some feedback from the friend who gave me this plant. He has traveled widely and is familiar with this plant's habitat. He showed me his photos of specimens in the Canary Islands at near-sea level, including just feet away from the high tide line. His opinion is that this maritime-adapted plant is not suitable for my microclimate.

I'm thinking of replacing it with a nursery-purchased specimen. If that one fails too, I'll know it's a lost cause.
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