Image - Wikimedia / Frank Vincentz
Sometimes it happens that we see plants in nurseries that, supposedly, have to stay small, but as they grow they surprise us, as is the case of the Euphorbia canariensis. If you have been in the archipelago or in a botanical garden, surely you already know that this species takes up a lot of space, but if not ... the normal thing is that that little stalk that you bought a while ago asks you, sooner or later, to do so. Plant into the ground, or at the very least, the largest and widest pot you can find.
But Do you know how to take care of it? If you have doubts, don't worry, in this article I'm going to talk at length about one of the most beautiful and easy-to-maintain plants that can be grown in succulent gardens.
Origin and characteristics
Image - Flickr / scott.zona
Known as cardón or cardón canario, it is a plant that belongs to the botanical family Euphorbiaceae, and that is found in all the islands of the Canary archipelago except Lanzarote, at an altitude that ranges from 100 to 900 meters. It is, according to a law of the Government of the Canary Islands, a natural symbol of the island of Gran Canaria. The species was described by Carlos Linneo and published in Species Plantarum in the 1753.
It reaches a height of up to 4 meters, and a maximum width of 150m2. It has a briform candelabrum bearing, or what is the same, its stems grow in such a way that they adopt a candelabrum shape. These stems are quadrangular, greenish-glaucous in color and with their sides armed with very short thorns. Its flowers are very small, so they do not have great ornamental value.
Like all euphorbia, it contains a latex inside that is toxic.
What are their cares?
Do you want to have a copy? Or, do you already have one? If so, we recommend taking care of it as follows:
Location
The canary cardon has to be abroad if possible, in an area where it is exposed to direct light. But beware, important, if they had it in a protected area, get it used to the star king little by little and gradually, otherwise it would burn quickly.
Earth
It depends on where you are going to have it:
- Flower pot: you can fill it with universal growing substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts, but to make it grow better use pomx, akadama or similar, which are volcanic sands that make both the rooting and the water drainage are perfect.
- Garden: as long as it has good drainage, it will be fine. If this is not the case with your soil, make a planting hole of at least 1m x 1m, cover it with shade mesh and fill it with pumice. You will see how pretty it becomes and how well it grows  .
Irrigation
Image - Wikimedia / H. Zell
Irrigation it has to be rather scarce, but without reaching the extreme of never watering it. During the warm months you should water an average of 1-2 times a week, while the rest of the year with a watering every 10-15 days you could have enough. When in doubt, keep in mind that a plant with excess water is much more difficult to recover than one that is dry, especially if we are talking about succulents, so do not be afraid to wait a few days to water again.
Another important thing you should know is that, when you water, you have to be pouring water until it comes out of the drainage holes, since otherwise you would not be watering, but simply pouring water and that would be a problem. All the roots must be hydrated so that the Euphorbia canariensis have your thirst quenched.
And by the way, in case of growing it in a pot, if you see that the water is going to the sides, that is, between what is the substrate and the container, take it and put it in a basin with water for a few minutes, until the soil is well soaked.
Multiplication
The canary cardon multiplies by stem cuttings in spring-summer. The way to proceed is very simple:
- Cut a stem about 40cm long and let the wound dry in a dry place protected from the sun for a week or ten days.
- After that time, plant it in a pot with a pumice for example, and place said container outside, in semi-shade.
- Now you will only have to water.
For a better chance of success, you can coat the base of the stem with rooting hormones sold at nurseries and garden centers. If all goes well – and it probably will  – it will sprout its own roots within a couple of weeks.
Plagues and diseases
It is very resistant, so much so that the only problem you may have is opportunistic fungi that appear when overwatered. For this reason, you have to control the waterings, and if it is rotting, cut it clean, treat with fungicide and let it dry for a week before planting it in a pot again.
Rusticity
La Euphorbia canariensis it resists cold and weak and short-lived frosts of up to -4ºC, but when young it needs protection against hail and snowfall.
What did you think of the canary cardon?