Take a euphorbia cutting, rinse the milky sap, and let the cut dry before you stick it. A wet, fresh cut rots in the mix.
Take a cutting, wash the sap, and let the cut dry
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Spring, before flower buds, or late spring for succulent stems | Do not cut a wilted, stressed stem |
| Sap | Gloves and eye cover; rinse the cut in cold water until the flow stops | Do not wipe sap onto your skin or into your eyes |
| Dry | Let the wound skin over — a day to a week for thin tips; longer for thick stems | Do not stick a wet, fresh cut into damp mix |
Wear gloves. Take a tip at least an inch long, or a few inches of succulent stem. Rinse the cut in cold water so the latex stops running, then set the cutting in dry shade until the wound is corky. [1] crown of thorns usually dries in two or three days. [2] African milk tree can take much longer because the stem is thick — wait until the cut has callused. [3] variegated candelabra and cushion spurge follow the same wash-and-dry. [4]
- Wear gloves and eye cover. Cut a healthy tip or stem in spring.
- Rinse the cut end in cold water until the milky sap stops. Spray the parent wound with water too.
- Set the cutting upright in dry shade until the wound is dry and corky.
- Do not skip the wait — a fresh, wet cut rots once it sits in mix.
Can I grow Euphorbia from cuttings?
Yes. Rinse the sap, let the cut dry, then stick it in draining mix. Do not bury a wet, fresh cut.
How to stick the cutting
Use a pot with a hole and a gritty mix. Dip the dry end in rooting hormone if you have it, then stick the cutting just deep enough to stand. Keep the mix barely moist until new growth shows. Do not stand a milk-tree stem in a water glass — it rots there.
- Fill a small pot with cactus mix, or potting mix plus grit, and a drain hole.
- Stick the dry end in. Keep the mix barely moist, not wet.
- Give bright, filtered light while it roots. Move it into the same sun as a mature plant once it grows.
- When new growth shows, treat it as a succulent or hardy type on How to Grow Euphorbia.
How do I propagate euphorbia?
Take a cutting, rinse the sap, let the cut dry, then stick it in mix that drains. Keep the mix barely moist until it roots.
Split a hardy clump in spring
Herbaceous hardy types can also be divided in early spring, like other perennials. Lift the clump, ease it apart so each piece has roots and a shoot, and replant at the same depth. Evergreen and woody kinds are easier from cuttings than from a split crown.
If the cutting turns soft, it was stuck while the cut was still wet. Take another, rinse the sap, and wait until the wound is dry.
FAQ
Can I root a cutting in water?
Not a milk-tree or other thick succulent stem — it rots in a glass. Rinse the sap, dry the cut, and stick it in draining mix.
Will a named kind come true from seed?
Usually not. Take a cutting if you want the plant you already have. Snow-on-the-mountain is the annual you start from seed.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Fine Gardening -
https://www.finegardening.com/article/all-about-growing-euphorbia - [2] University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension -
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/crown-of-thorns-euphorbia-milii/ - [3] New York Botanical Garden -
https://libanswers.nybg.org/faq/222933 - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/euphorbia-milii/
This note is part of Euphorbia Guides.
More notes on making another plant live in Propagating Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors