Pretty but active houseplant - watch out for the spit palm
Created: 01/09/2023, 2:30 p.m
By: Ines Alms
If the spit palm wants to multiply, you should keep a small safety distance.
Otherwise, the houseplant is easy to care for.
Better live unusually - the title of the comedy film could also be the motto of this houseplant.
When the spit palm is a little bigger, it produces seeds that it spits out meters across the room.
If you stand too close, it can get in the eye.
The plant, which is also called the Madagascar jewel, is undemanding when it comes to care.
But there are reasons why you might be better off avoiding the spit palm with pets or children.
Caring for the spit palm: Don't be afraid of strange noises
The spit palm (Euphorbia leuconeura) is unsuitable for children and pets.
© Zoonar/Imago
When the spit palm catapults the ripe seeds from its bursting capsule fruit through the area with great force, great forces are at work.
This centrifugal mechanism helps the plant to self-seed.
It also becomes onomatopoeic - even if you're not standing next to it, you'll hear the clacking on the floor.
You can tell that the spit palm was successful in propagating when small spit palm offspring grow from neighboring flower pots.
Which, by the way, are definitely worth rearing, because according to
Mein schön Garten
the plant feels better in company and develops better.
The spit palm has another unusual trait: When temperatures drop in winter and are around 17 degrees Celsius, the plant often sheds a larger part of its leaves to reduce its energy metabolism, explains
MDR Garten
.
In the spring it forms new leaves again.
Occasionally one should turn the spit palm upside down
Otherwise, the plant is quite easy to care for, and it is usually left alone from diseases and pests.
You should note this:
Location: bright, without direct sun.
In summer at temperatures of 20 to 24 degrees Celsius, in winter at 12 to 14 degrees Celsius.
Watering: Always keep the soil slightly moist.
Avoid waterlogging to prevent root rot.
Fertilize: from April to September every six weeks, for example with cactus fertilizer.
In winter she takes a fertilizer and rest break.
Repot: about every two years in spring
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So that the spit palm grows straight and not too much towards the sun, you should turn it from time to time.
Houseplants for dummies: ten specimens that are really easy to care for
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Since the spit palm, which belongs to the spurge family, is poisonous in all parts of the plant, you should always wear gloves when working with it.
It is therefore not a good houseplant if there are small children or pets such as cats or dogs in the household.