The spit palm is an easy-care houseplant with a very special propagation mechanism. Its beautiful leaf venation and shade tolerance make the "Madagaskar Juwel" a worthwhile roommate.
The special feature of the spit palm (Euphorbia leuconeura) is the way it spreads. She "spits" her seeds meters away, so that more spit palms grow in nature in her area. Even in the room you are sometimes lucky enough to find a spit palm seedling in the neighboring pot.
Spit palm: origin and properties
The spit palm (Euphorbia leuconeura), contrary to its name, is not a palm tree, but an upright and usually unbranched shrub. In nature, growth heights of up to 2 m are reached, in the room it can sometimes be 1 m high. It belongs to the spurge genus (Euphorbia) and, like most species of this genus, contains a milky sap in all parts of the plant. The spit palm is only native to northern Madagascar and is therefore called the Madagascar jewel. But it also makes a good houseplant.
The quickly woody trunk is angular and often twisted, which makes it a real eye-catcher. The stem succulent spit palm stores water in it. In old age, after drought or after injuries, the trunk of the spit palm can branch out. At the edges of the stem are thorns that arise from transformed stipules. The large, tongue-shaped, leathery leaves emerge at the top of the stem and show conspicuous white leaf veins when young. There are no leaves along the trunk. The spit palm leaves are up to 15 cm long. The pseudo-flowers typical of the spurge family are also located on the trunk, between the thorns, and are quite inconspicuous.
Tip: The spit palm is referred to as false blossoms because the small individual blossoms are very reduced, but group together to form an inflorescence and as a whole again like one large one bloom appear.
How does a spit palm spit? The spit palm spreads its seeds independently. The seeds are in capsule fruits, which, when they dry out after maturity, explode open and eject their contents meters. It therefore appears as if the plant is spitting out its seeds. This type of propagation is called ballochory. So when the spit palm spits, it is in the process of securing its offspring. It is therefore sometimes referred to as the spring palm, cracker palm or official alarm clock.
Location, soil and co. for the houseplant
A location with sufficient light, but without direct sun, is suitable for the spit palm. The Madagascar jewel can only be directly illuminated in the morning and evening hours. The spit palm even thrives in the shade, but should still get as much light as possible in dark rooms. If it is in a north-facing room, it should be placed right next to the window. Drafts should be avoided. To ensure even growth, we recommend rotating the spit palm regularly, as it always grows towards the light.
The spit palm should be kept warmer in summer than in winter. Temperatures of 20 to 24 °C are optimal during the growing season. In winter, the spit palm is dormant and is best kept at 14 to 16°C.
The soil for the spit palm should be as permeable as possible and contain no peat. Therefore, for example, our Plantura organic universal soil is very suitable. Our biological soil contains no peat and is very structurally stable. So it doesn't collapse so quickly and keeps its loose, airy structure, so that enough air gets to the roots and the soil can absorb the irrigation water well. Ideally, 30% expanded clay should be mixed into the soil, since succulents like the spit palm need a particularly loose substrate. Before you plant the spit palm, it is best to create a drainage layer. This prevents the formation of waterlogging when watering. Expanded clay, potsherds and pebbles are suitable as drainage material. Alternatively, the spit palm can also be cultivated in hydroponics, whereby it is kept exclusively in expanded clay for support.
Care for the spit palm
Caring for the spit palm is not particularly time-consuming, but you still have to pay a little attention to it. Like most houseplants, it needs regular watering andoccasional fertilization.
Is the spit palm hardy? No, the tropical spit palm is not hardy. It has to spend the winter indoors and should then be cooler than in the summer. 14 to 16 °C is ideal. It shouldn't be colder, but warm hibernation is possible. If the temperature drops below 10 °C, the spit palm can be damaged.
Water, cut and fertilize
It is important that you water the spit palm regularly. It has a medium water requirement - the root ball should never dry out. As soon as the surface of the earth has dried, the watering can is used. Lime-free water such as rainwater is best. After watering, when about 15 minutes have passed, excess water that has collected in the saucer is poured off. In the dormant phase in winter, it can be watered less frequently. If the leaves of the spit palm droop, this is a sign of water shortage - it needs watering urgently.
The spit palm is only fertilized during the growing season, i.e. from spring to autumn. The easiest way to do this is with a liquid fertilizer that you can add to the soil over the irrigation water. The nutrient requirement of the spit palm is rather low. After planting, there are usually enough nutrients available for the coming months. After about three months, you should then fertilize every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer. Our mainly organic fertilizer can be used for a variety of indoor plants and, thanks to its special composition, ensures lush leaves and he althy plants. Because of the spit palm's low nutritional requirements, half a dose is sufficient.
Usually it is not necessary to cut the spit palm. Injuries to the plant should be avoided. However, dead or diseased parts of the plant can be removed. Be sure to wear gloves and clean the cutting tool thoroughly before and after cutting, because toxic milky juice escapes when cutting, which can lead to allergic reactions and skin irritation on contact. In nature, it serves to ward off predators.
In order for it to continue to develop well and get bigger, you should move the spit palm to a larger pot every two yearstransplant. More root space and fresh substrate ensure a growth spurt in spring.
Spit palm loses leaves: what to do?
The spit palm is a fairly robust plant that is rarely attacked by diseases or pests. Sometimes problems are only caused by mistakes in maintenance.
- Spit Palm Losing Leaves: If the spit palm loses its lower leaves, it's not a cause for panic, it's a normal process. As the growth progresses, the lower leaves are shed and new ones grow at the top. However, if the spit palm also loses the upper or even all leaves, waterlogging or an ambient temperature that is too cold can be the cause.
- Spit palm gets yellow leaves: Waterlogging is usually the reason why the spit palm gets yellow leaves. Check if the soil feels wet or smells bad. In this case, you should repot the spit palm and water less in the future. Excess water must always be removed after watering. If the leaves have not been fertilized or repotted for a long time, a lack of nutrients can be responsible for yellow leaves.
- Spit palm droops: Drooping leaves can also be a sign of waterlogging, but they can also be a sign of dryness, although the spit palm tolerates drought much better. Also check how the substrate feels here, repot if necessary and adjust the watering amount.
Propagate spit palm
Although the spit palm can be propagated by cuttings, the spit palm takes a long time to recover from cuts. Shoot cuttings can be used. To do this, use a sharp knife to cut off a piece about 10 cm long from the main shoot at an angle and let it bleed, i.e. the milky juice should be able to escape. Wear gloves with this method to avoid skin irritation. The cuttings are then placed in moist potting soil, such as our Plantura organic herb and seed soil, and placed in a bright but not sunny position. At around 20 °C, roots form after about four weeks. At warmer temperatures of 25 to 30 °C, things sometimes go faster.
Propagating the spit palm by seeds is much easier - in principle, by itself. Euphorbia leuconeura is self-pollinating and also disperses its seeds independently. With a bit of luck, the seed will end up in the ground and germinate there. If you find the seeds on the ground, you can use themput in potting soil and moisten. At temperatures of around 20 °C, the seeds will germinate after about three weeks. From a height of 5 cm, the seedlings can be repotted in their own pots and nutrient-rich substrate.
Is the spit palm poisonous?
The spit palm is poisonous because it contains a poisonous milky sap that escapes when the plant is injured. This can lead to skin and mucous membrane irritation, which is why gloves must be worn when repotting and cutting. Eating the spit palm can lead to poisoning, which manifests itself, among other things, in circulatory disorders and vomiting. The spit palm can be a danger, especially for curious pets.
Even the popular yucca palm is actually not a palm tree at all. Nevertheless, it is very popular as a houseplant. You can find out how to properly care for the yucca palm with us.