Crown of Thorns Bonsai & Prebonsai for Sale

 Pickup, Delivery, and Shipping Options/Policy

            Local pickup is free in the Columbus, Ohio area, or pickup is also available when I road trip, especially to bonsai shows around my area of the Midwest. Delivery is also free if not more than 15 minutes out of my way from home or on any of these trips. See here for the most updated list of pickup sites/delivery routes I will be making in the coming months. 

            If you would like to have any of my products shipped to you, see my Etsy page invivobonsai.etsy.com (almost all prices include shipping) or contact me if the item is not listed on my Etsy and I'll look into a cost estimate. Contacting me can also get you a cheaper price than buying through Etsy as there will be fewer fees and shipping multiple items can be combined.

Dwarf Crown of Thorns Bonsai Available in Columbus, Ohio from In Vivo Bonsai

Last updated, 12/26/2025

Sections:

1. Dwarf Crown of Thorns Care Guide
1. Basic Info
2. Watering
3. Lighting
4. Varieties
5. Propagation Info
2. Sale Info
1. Dwarf Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)
2. Mature Starters/Workshop Trees (not in ceramic pots)
3. Sold Example Gallery + Pruning Tips

I. Dwarf Crown of Thorns Care Guide:

A. Basic Info

            Euphorbia milii (exact variety unknown) aka dwarf crown of thorns is a beginner-friendly tropical succulent that can be styled as a bonsai due to the woody appearance of its stem. Because it is tropical, it can be grown indoors year-round or outdoors in summer and indoors in winter to avoid freezing. The advantages of this species include its hardiness, ease of propagation through cuttings, and miniature leaves due to being a dwarf variety. Also, historically, it is believed that relatives of this plant were used during the crucifixion of Jesus due to their thorny stems.

B. Watering

            I water my dwarf crown of thorns ~1-2x/week in the winter, depending on the light intensity of their spot in the home. The leaves are more delicate than other succulents like jade and dwarf jade. In the case of crown of thorns, they store water in their stem instead. 

C. Lighting

            The plant thrives in full sun or under intense grow lights, but it also can survive in winter with only the light from a window, although I have not experimented too much with less light than this so it may be able to handle less also. To keep them growing well, I am always sure to put them outside over summer where they get much more light and warmth.

D. Varieties

            There are a many varieties of crown of thorns but I currently only have one unknown dwarf variety which I am propagating. Care-wise, all these crown of thorns varieties are treated the same.

E. Propagation Info

            DO NOT propagate branch cuttings of this species in water, it will rot. Stick branches directly into soil, it's the best method. No root hormone is required, but it may help (I haven't tested, the success rate is great without it).

II. Sale Info

        These jade beginner-friendly bonsai starters I sell quickly for a low price so the stock is always rotating. This makes them not great to put online since that is a time-consuming process but some available are pictured below. If interested in buying one, please feel free to contact me for pictures of the latest options. So far, I do not provide dwarf jades to my In-Person Bonsai Partner locations because they are a little higher maintenance (light and drought tolerance-wise) than other succulent species.

A. Dwarf Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)

DCT1 - Shohin upright in Xmas pot with drainage hole added

    $20. Potted+photographed in late summer/early fall 2025 and now under grow lights to promote new growth.

Photographed late 2025.

DCT2 - Taller upright in mug pot with drainage hole added

    $25. Potted+photographed in late summer/early fall 2025 and now under grow lights to promote new growth.

Photographed late 2025.

DCT4 - Clump crown of thorns in ceramic pot

    Dwarf crown of thorns clump. If you dig down there is a single trunk which could be exposed, or it can continue towards this clump style direction. It is a rooted piece of a larger plant that was recently repotted into its own pot. Available at The Taproot Collective in Athens, OH.

Photographed late 2025.

B. Mature Starters/Workshop Trees (not in ceramic pots)

            Typically, I propagate my tropicals in shallow pots as this saves space and not all cuttings survive (although for jade, branches or even individual leaves are a near guaranteed success). Then, either in workshops or on my own, I separate the mature ones into individual pots, but I've found that after ~1 yr, the jades do not have a very developed root system, so lately I think additional time in their own pots will improve the ease of their use for workshops. So I am starting to separate my workshop trees/prebonsai into individual plastic containers before using them in bonsai pots. Smaller prebonsai will need another year in these pots before being recommended for workshops or being made into beginner bonsai, whereas more established prebonsai can be used straight away.

• None currently available for dwarf crown of thorns.

III. Sold Example Gallery + Pruning Tips

            As I get more mature examples and organize my pictures, I will add them here. The styling is pretty basic and similar with other broadleaf species. Cut after 2-3 internodes so dense branching is formed. This also gives you the chance to use clip and grow to alter trunk/branchlines. Wire will work to some extent but because these are succulent, the bends cannot be too severe or they will snap. Also I don't really bother wiring these to avoid the thorns.

DCT3 - Shohin upright in Xmas cardinal and holly mug pot with drainage hole added

    Photographed shortly after potting this rooted cutting. In time it will grow branching and be more tree-like.