How appropriate for a (almost) Good Friday post. This Euphorbia Milii aka Crown of Thorns was in the desert room at the BBG. It's a much bigger version of the one I own, also with yellow flowers. There is a bit of a back story to this. I saw this plant at an indoor gardeners meeting and got a cutting which I actually managed to root and pot. And then I neglectfully killed it. I didn't quite understand why I was drawn to this plant in the first place but then realized it was probably because I saw quite a few of them as a child growing up in the tropics. I think it was a staple of potted plants that usually graced the front steps of houses, another was begonias.
So I discovered I had a very positive association with this plant which was at odds with my bias and avoidance of thorny plants because of their negative symbolism. In feng shui, thorns are generally viewed as negative energy although there is some grey area like in the case of roses where there is another component. I can't tell you how conflicted I was about this, agonizing about this for weeks before I gave in and bought one in flower at the farmer's market. It was the flower that did it, with the added rationale - it's not negative, its protection. Every time I look at it sitting on the windowsill there's a flurry of images in my head that conjures up my altar boy past, my childhood, my guilt at killing the cutting that the nice lady had made a special effort to give me. I must re pot it soon.
+ GreenKraft:Bamboo Biotechnology
+ OGMedia:Early Spring Color Report
