Euphorbia caput-medusae

The original Medusa's head: a caudex-forming succulent with many snake-like branches, native to the winter-rainfall west and south coast of South Africa's Western Cape. It grows in cool winters and rests in the dry summer, in full sun on sand or rock.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Coastal deep sand and rocky outcrops, notably in Peninsula Shale Renosterveld and coastal fynbos around Cape Town.

Mostly near sea level to about 500 m.

Western Cape, South Africa

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.