Baja spurge is a delicate-looking shrubby succulent that’s desert-tough. When in bloom, it has fragrant flowers that look like small cherry blossoms! Here’s how to plant and care for this unique Sonoran Desert native.
Imagine growing a native desert succulent that looks like a cherry tree in full bloom. Well, there is such a plant — Baja spurge (Euphorbia xanti), also known as cherry blossom euphorbia.
This shrubby succulent has slender green-gray stems that don’t look particularly impressive. But when in bloom, this plant turns heads! Clusters of fragrant, pink flowers cover the plant, making it look like a bonsai cherry tree. And luckily for gardeners, it has a long bloom period. It blooms intermittently throughout the year but mainly in late winter and spring.
As the name suggests, it originates from Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. It needs minimal water and likes full sun and heat.
Baja spurge attracts pollinators — hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies — and is generally resistant to hungry javelinas, deer, and rabbits.
Why I Like This Plant
- Fragrant pink flowers that look like cherry blossoms
- Long bloom period
- Adds architectural interest all year long
- Needs little water
- Attracts pollinators
- Good container plant
Things to Watch Out For
When you pick up a Baja spurge at a nursery, it will look like a delicate, spindly plant. So it can be a surprise when they grow to be large and rangy. They spread by rhizomes and seeds to form dense colonies that are difficult to prune.
And like all members of the Euphorbia genus, Baja spurge exudes milky sap that is toxic to ingest and can be irritating to the skin and eyes.
Baja spurge is not very cold-hardy. Plants show damage once the temperature dips below 30℉ and can die back in the mid-twenties.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a Baja spurge plant to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Baja spurge should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 – 11. As a Mexican desert native, it’s extremely heat tolerant, but cold can be a limiting factor. It’s only cold hardy down to mid-twenties. Fortunately, even if plants suffer extreme cold damage, they often rebound vigorously in the spring.
Sun Exposure
Baja spurge should be grown in full sun. It can handle the reflected heat of a west-facing wall. Planting it in the shade or part shade will cause it to get floppy and reduce the number of flowers.
Size and Growth Rate
Baja spurge is a fast grower that can reach a size of 6 to 8 feet tall and wide. It spreads by rhizomes to form dense stands. So make sure you’ve got plenty of room for it because this is not a plant you’ll want to prune.
Soil
Baja spurge will grow in any soil, provided it’s well-draining, but it prefers rocky desert soil.
Other Location Considerations
Baja spurge can be grown in a pot. Since the flowers are small and fragrant, this is a good plant to put up close where its details can be seen and appreciated such as near a patio. Make sure your container has good drainage and use specifically formulated cactus soil.
Since Baja spurge is toxic, it should be kept away from curious kids and pets.
Baja Spurge:
The Essentials
| Common Names | Baja spurge, Cherry blossom euphorbia |
| Scientific Name | Euphorbia xanti |
| Origin | Baja California |
| Plant Type | Succulent shrub |
| USDA Zones | Zones 9 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 27℉ |
| Flower Color | Pink |
| Flower Season | Winter, spring, summer |
| Mature Size | 6-8′ high x 6-8’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full sun, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | None |
| Toxicity | Toxic, skin irritant |
| Wildlife | Attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds Deer, rabbit, javelina resistant |
How to Plant
Dig a hole as deep as and twice as wide as the nursery container. Carefully remove the plant from the container, put it in the hole, and press the soil to remove any air pockets.
It’s generally recommended that you backfill with only native soil and not add any amendments. However, good drainage is critical. So if you know your soil is slow draining, amend with coarse sand or small gravel until you have a loose, well-drained mix.
Baja spurge exudes toxic sap, so handle with care. When dealing with plants like this, I put a pair of inexpensive disposable gloves over my regular gardening gloves and then toss them when done. If you get sap on your gardening tools, clean them thoroughly before putting them away.
When to Plant
The best time to plant succulents is in April or May. Warm soil temperatures encourage root development.
How to Care for Baja Spurge
Whether you’ve recently planted a new Baja spurge or have an existing one in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water Succulents
You’re probably used to giving a plant a good soaking immediately after transplanting, but that isn’t the best practice with desert succulents like Baja spurge.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum advises not to water succulents for one to two weeks after planting. Then use the following schedule as a guide.
| Spring & Fall | Every 3-5 weeks |
| Summer | Every 2-4 weeks |
| Winter | Only if no winter rains |
If you’re growing Baja spurge in a container, use this watering schedule as a guide.
| Spring & Fall | Every 7-10 days |
| Summer | Every 5-7 days |
| Winter | Every 10-14 days |
Should You Fertilize?
There’s no need to fertilize Baja spurge, they get all they need from the surrounding desert soil. But if you keep one in a pot, fertilize lightly a few times a year when it’s actively growing.
How to Prune? As Little as Possible
Since this plant exudes toxic sap, you’ll want to avoid pruning if at all possible. If yours is getting too large for its space, you can cut back on water to control its growth.
Another way to keep it from overgrowing its space is to surround the roots with 18″ deep root barrier at the time of planting.
Baja Spurge Alternative
If you like the looks of Baja spurge, but are concerned about its manageability or cold-sensitivity, consider candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica). Like Baja spurge, it has thin gray-green stems and dainty pink flowers but stays a manageable size (2’x3′) without pruning and is cold-tolerant down to 10℉.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
Photo Credits
SAPlants, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Gardenology.org, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons