For the Two Questions Meme:
1. Are you intimidated by their thorns?
2. Will you still be planting this plant despite the dangers?
http://www.selfsagacity.com/p/thursday-two-questions.html
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Invasion of the Reds
January this year is our coldest month, and that only means our temperatures in the city dipped to at least 18°C at 5:30 in the morning! That is way before the sun rises at 6:30am and most people are still in bed. It only happened this year! My blogger friends from the temperate climates will laugh at this, but that is the lowest we got, courtesy of the winds coming from the deep winter of Siberia and China. While you are braving the negative zero temperatures, we are already blessed when this temperature range visits us. The most amusing thing is that it only happened once, only that moment, and most of this month we get around 25°C. We are already at the start of the dry season, and by next month we will again be in our 30's again. Oh how lovely it would be if the lower 20Cs will be with us for at least a few months! That will be heaven.
And analogous to the color descriptions, we are of course getting all the warm colors: the reds, orange, red-orange and yellows. I am posting the crown of thorns or Euphorbia milii. Above shows the young flowers in the foreground and the more mature open ones at the back.
This plant is not taken care of at home, they are just left at the edges for their thorns not to be accidentally touched by any animal, including humans. Moreover, the sap is poisonous! Being neglected didn't deter them to produce lovely blooms. We have 4 varieties, above is the solid red.
This is another variety with slightly white specks, and majority of the color is pinkish.
Another variety is the red with more pronounced white specks or variegation. I don't have any preference for their colors though. But insects and bees also visit them.
This is their mature stem, and those thorns are really hard. It is really dangerous when placed in a busy location. This characteristics physically relegated them to the sidelines.
For the Two Questions Meme:
1. Are you intimidated by their thorns?
2. Will you still be planting this plant despite the dangers?
http://www.selfsagacity.com/p/thursday-two-questions.html
For the Two Questions Meme:
1. Are you intimidated by their thorns?
2. Will you still be planting this plant despite the dangers?
http://www.selfsagacity.com/p/thursday-two-questions.html
22 comments:
Your visits and comments are the life of this site. I certainly appreciate them and I will make sure to return the favor. Energies are not destroyed, they are just transformed, so healthy energies be with us all, just like the breath of life!
But i am requesting that no other personal links should be put on your comments. I am sorry, but backlinks give me some problems, so i might not publish them.Thank you very much for understanding.
these are terrific shots especially the first photo--ganda! this flower is about everywhere here--love the reds.
ReplyDeletebtw, here's a link to Amanda's Thurs2Q:
http://www.selfsagacity.com
Thanks Luna for the kind words. But please help me how to link in Amanda's. I don't know where to click. hehe
Deletemy mom doesn't like this flower because of the thorns, and we have a dog.:p
ReplyDeleteWow. Your temperature is like ours here in CA. It never gets as cold as other states.
ReplyDelete1) The flowers are very pretty, but the thorns are so thick and scary. (from this photo any how ;-)
2) I don't think I dare to plant them unfortunately. I have a 5 year-old and I would not want her to get near it. She loves to pick flowers, a habit she inherited from grandma. lol They used to take walks together and gather all the flowers they can for grandpa's alter...
These cold temps just happened this month, not in previous years! California temps are still more favorable to raise crops.
DeleteI also don't like this plant not only for the thorns but for the poisonous sap. However my mother cannot be swayed from getting it, so she now has the problem of disposal, because they grow fast and difficult to kill, even with harassment and neglect! Thanks for helping me here Amanda, but my name is not appearing yet in the list of linkers.
What a beautiful flower. I would not be put off by the thorns but I would plant it in a low traffic area so no one would accidentally brush against the plant. But on the other hand if it tends to spread quickly and is hard to kill I think I would not plant it in my garden.
ReplyDeleteLovely blossom. I think I would be put off by the thorns. I don't have any green thumbs so not keen on planting but more on admiring flowers.
ReplyDeleteWithout having a green thumb is an easy excuse to say someone doesn't know anything about plants. Knowing them and their requirements is the 'green thumb'!
DeleteI just came back from St. Lucia and this plant was everywhere. It is beautiful growing in pots, gardens or wild.
ReplyDeleteDonna, if you've been to St. Lucia it is just like the Philippines in terms of landscape, vegetation and climate.
DeleteFabulous and vibrant!
ReplyDeleteI adore those shots of the red flowers but yikes those thorns are scary!
ReplyDeleteLovely reds - and scary thorns! I'm pretty sure I would not do well in your climate.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Euphorbia milii pictures!!
ReplyDeleteA true tropical plant and will not grow in my garden in Canada:(
The thorns wouldn't bother me?
Roses have thorns too..
I see these flowers in the Desert garden, but had never knew that its poisonous.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea, I hope to blog more often and share my photos. I am just enjoying my outdoor activities specially the photography part. When you are in a group, you can split the expenses.
Yes i know what you mean, that is actually what i want to do. But I don't have many friends here with that same passion, and sometimes we really can't often afford it. Oh how lively life is if we can do what you're involved now!
DeleteWhat an interesting plant. It's beautiful. It's 8 degrees F here. I'm glad there are parts of the world that don't have to deal with this cold.
ReplyDeleteCrown of Thorns was one of my mother's favorite potted plants. It was too cold where she lived to grow in the garden. It's 4ºC here -- will be below freezing by early morning. Then the sun will come again and it will be a beautiful day.
ReplyDeleteThat first shot is stunning! We have this plant potted here and only indoors.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updates out there. Uwi ako sa march and I am sure sobra na init. But I still love our country with beautiful people and nature. Have a nice weekend:)
ReplyDeleteOh Joy, welcome home! I hope you will not be surprised with what we have now! And i wonder why you will come here in March, that is very hot and humid, difficult for you. You should have come by Dec to Feb! I already forgot which province you are from!
Deleteawesome post! thanks for linking in!!! sorry I am so late getting around...hope you will link up again soon!
ReplyDelete(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com