Scientific name: Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv.

Family: Brassicaceae

Common name: Crown of Thorns

The common name of this species refers to the fact that it has very thorny stems. It is a succulent shrub that can reach more than one metre in height.

Crown of thorns is native to Madagascar. Its stem and leaves are fleshy to accumulate water; the leaves are oval and are arranged in a spiral around the stem. The flowers are very small, yellowish in colour, but are nevertheless protected by very showy red bracts, which can be enjoyed all year round. There are different varieties, with pink, cream or white bracts.

The generic name was given by King Juba II of Mauritania in the 1st century BC in honour of his physician Euphorbus; the name of the species commemorates Baron Milius, governor of the island of Réunion, who introduced the species to France in 1821.

It is a very hardy species, requiring little watering, likes to be in the sun and is tolerant of salinity. Care must be taken when handling it, as its latex is very irritating, as is the case with other species of this family. In La Concepción it can be seen in pots next to the Stately Home, as well as in the ground in the old school and in the Euphorbiaceae area of the succulent collection.