Introduce a touch of the exotic to your landscape with the Moroccan Mound, a unique succulent from the Moroccan highlands! Known botanically as Euphorbia resinifera, this plant forms dense clumps of spiny, four-angled stems that resemble a cactus but actually belong to the euphorbia family.
Euphorbia resinifera in cultivation. Image by Cesare Brancaleoni.
Many succulents grow symmetrically, but Moroccan mound stands out as one of the most perfectly symmetric succulents you’ll ever grow. Its photosynthetic stems have four sides and are nearly square. They range from blue-green to yellow-green and are lined with short but sharp spines. One of its common names is staghorn coral, and you can see why.
About Moroccan Mound Euphorbias
As the name suggests, Moroccan mound succulents are native to Morocco where they can be found growing on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains. Euphorbia resinifera is native to Morocco.
The Moroccan mound plant grows 1-2 feet (30.5 to 61 cm.) in height by about 4-6 feet (1 to 2 m.) across. It is a succulent that has an upright habit of pale blue-green, four-sided stems with brown spines along the margins and near the rounded tip. It stays fairly compact and is ideal for container gardening or smaller spaces. Moroccan Mound features dainty yellow pincushion flowers along the branches from late winter to early spring.
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Euphorbia resinifera is a dense succulent shrub with upright, four-angled, generally leafless stems with rows of paired short and sharp spines extending along the angles. It grows slowly, reaching up to 2 feet (60 cm) in height and 6.6 feet (2 m) in diameter, forming a cushion-shaped clump.
The cactus-like stems are thick, fleshy, and dull green to bluish-green.
Close-up of stems in bloom. Image by Cesare Brancaleoni.
The flowers are small, bright yellow, and appear from late winter to early spring.
Growing Conditions
These are fairly easy Euphorbia to grow in pots indoors or outdoors in mild climates. Moroccan Mound can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9a-11b. Moroccan mound should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 - 11. It’s cold-hardy down to 20℉. It’s generally considered heat-loving, but the past few summers have pushed them to the limit. Some gardeners report theirs have succumbed to the heat.
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Euphorbia resinifera grow best in a fast draining soil mix.
Light
Resin spurge plants do best in full sun, at least 5 to 8 hours a day which will help with keeping compact growth. Avoid intense afternoon sun. Moroccan mound likes full or part sun but should not be planted where it receives reflected heat. Plants appreciate some afternoon shade, which helps keep them blue-green. Place your indoor E. resinifera in a sunny window. You may place the pot on the balcony or in the garden from spring to fall.
Temperature
They prefer warm temperatures between 65 - 70 ºF. These plants are cold hardy to 20 ºF. High summer temperatures are not a problem, but low winter temperatures can damage or kill your plant. E. resinifera can withstand temperatures as low as 20 °F (-6.7 °C).
Watering
Moroccan Mound thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Moroccan Mound is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. From spring to fall, water when the top inch (2.5 cm) of soil feels dry. Reduce watering in winter. Give it just enough water to prevent wilting. The best time of the day to water your E. Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Moroccan Mound.
Once established, Moroccan mound needs very little water. Water deeply but infrequently-only when the soil is completely dry. During the hot summer months, you might water every two to three weeks. In the winter, scale back even further. No supplemental water is necessary during the winter, provided there have been winter rains.
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Soil
A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. E. resinifera requires well-drained soil.
When planting the Moroccan mound cactus in a container, choose a pot with good drainage and a sandy cactus soil blend. This succulent doesn’t like wet feet-standing water can quickly lead to root rot.
Fertilizing
Moroccan Mound grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer. Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. There is no need to fertilize a Moroccan mound planted in the ground. Plants in a pot need regular feeding. Fertilizer isn’t necessary, but a light feeding in spring with a diluted cactus fertilizer can help encourage new growth and even promote blooming.
My New Euphorbia resinifera from Norberto Carcamo!!!
Planting and Care
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.
Once planted, this low-maintenance succulent will settle in quickly and begin to form mounded clusters. Moroccan mound cactus care is mostly about letting the plant do its thing and resisting the urge to fuss.
Select a sunny to lightly shaded area with well-draining soil. You can amend native soil with sand or cactus mix to encourage better drainage. While it can handle full sun, a bit of afternoon shade helps reduce sun scorch during especially hot Tucson summers.
Give your Moroccan mound room to spread as it matures. If planting near walkways or patios, keep in mind its branching habit may sprawl over time.
Maintenance
This plant is about as low-maintenance as it gets. Moroccan Mound is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. It’s common for Moroccan Mound to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Little maintenance is required to grow these plants.
Fortunately, pruning is rarely, if ever, necessary. You can also prune a few stems if you want to use them to propagate new plants. Prune off any damaged arms to shape the mound, and be cautious when handling-it produces a white sap that can irritate skin.
Propagation
The easiest and fastest propagation method for this plant is by cuttings. It can also be grown from seeds, but it can be difficult for seeds to germinate. The seeds of Moroccan Mound can be used to grow new plants!
The best time to take cuttings is in spring or summer. Moroccan mound can be propagated by stem cuttings. Use gloves and allow the sap to dry after cutting, then let the cutting callous over for a day or two before planting in dry cactus soil.
Remove a branch or offset, wash the severed end to remove the latex, and then allow it to dry for a week or so to allow the wound to heal.
Moroccan Mound cactus in a garden setting.
Pests and Diseases
These plants are quite resistant to pests and diseases. This tough plant rarely has pest problems, but mealybugs or spider mites may appear in crowded or overly humid conditions. A gentle spray of water or neem oil treatment usually clears them up.
Root rot can become a problem if the plant is overwatered and will quickly kill the plant. Cut your plant just past where the rot ends and allow it to callus over for a few days before replanting it in fresh, dry soil.
Toxicity
Like all members of the Euphorbia genus, Moroccan mound exudes milky sap that is toxic to ingest and irritating to skin and eyes. However, Moroccan mound’s sap is particularly dangerous. ⚠️ Important warning! ⚠️Moroccan mound’s sap is extremely irritating. If you get any in your mouth or eyes, consider it a medical emergency.
When handling Moroccan mound, wear gloves. I put a pair of inexpensive disposable gloves over my regular gardening gloves and then toss when done. All parts of the plant contain a poisonous, white latex that is extremely toxic to pets and humans if ingested and highly irritant if contacted with skin.
As with all euphorbia plants, Moroccan mound exudes a thick, milky sap. This latex, actually the plant’s resin, is poisonous. It can be dangerous to get on the skin, in the eyes, or in mucous membranes.
Moroccan Mound is not safe to consume. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian. Moroccan mound should be kept away from curious kids and pets.
This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.
Note on the aforementioned latex - as with all euphorbia plants, Moroccan mound exudes a thick, milky sap. This latex, actually the plant’s resin, is poisonous. It can be dangerous to get on the skin, in the eyes, or in mucous membranes.
Uses and Features
- Moroccan Mound makes a stunning container plant, and works especially well in a low, bowl-shaped planter.
- It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting.
- It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container.
- It’s one of the earliest documented medicinal plants.
- It’s native to mountain regions of Morocco.
This succulent can be used as a textural accent either as a specimen plant or in containers with other likeminded succulents. In mild climates, they can be grown outside and are very low maintenance.
Since one misstep will ruin it’s beautiful symmetry, don’t plant it where it’s likely to get walked on by pedestrians, landscapers, or wildlife.
Additional Information
Moroccan mound contains high concentrations of resiniferatoxin, an analog of capsaicin, the compound that gives hot peppers their heat. Resiniferatoxin has a score of 16 billion Scoville heat units, which means it’s about 500 to 1000 times hotter than pure capsaicin!
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