Medusa's Head

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Cactus & Succulent Garden

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Medusa's Head

• Common Name: Medusa's Head
  
• Scientific Name: Euphorbia caput-medusae
  
• Family Name: Euphorbiaceae
  
• Origin: South Africa
  
• Height: Up to 2.5 ft
  
• Width: 3.3 ft
  
• Growth:  Slow
  
• Zone: USDA Zones 9B through 11
  
• Light needs: Full sun
  
• Salt tolerance: Moderate
  
• Soil/pH/Texture: Needs well-drained, sandy or rocky soil. Adaptable soil pH needs.
  
• Moisture: Water only when soil dries not. Sensitive to overwatering.
  
• Drought tolerance: High
  
• Pests/Diseases: Mealybugs. Root rot may occur when overwatered.
  
• Growing conditions: This succulent is generally very low maintenance once established. Plant it in a sunny, warm, and dry area. During the summer, it may need some supplemental water when the soil dries out. Restrict watering in winter when the plant is dormant. It does very well in containers when grown in a cactus potting mix.
  
• Characteristics: This short, stout succulent has numerous thick, fleshy stems which grow from a short central caudex. The stems are snake-like in appearance, making the plant resemble the head of medusa. Short, fleshy leaves spiral around these stems. They are typically only found near the tips of stems, as the lower leaves fall off and leave white scars. The inflorescences appear in small clusters at the ends of stems and consist of many tiny white petals surrounding a brown and yellow center.
  
• Propagation: By cuttings.
  
• Facts: This plant was one of the early plants described by Linnaeus.
  
• Designer considerations: Commonly planted in xeric gardens and used in mixed-succulent gardens/containers .