Species · genus Euphorbia · Euphorbiaceae

Caribbean Copperplant

Euphorbia cotinifolia L.

Also known as: Mexican Shrubby Spurge · Tropical Smokebush

Growth habit

shrub or tree

Native range

Bolivia, Brazil North, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panamá, Peru, Southwest Caribbean, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela

Reference · E. cotinifolia

Cultivars of E. cotinifolia

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under E. cotinifolia yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A deciduous shrub or small tree from tropical Central and South America, grown for its deep red foliage that colors best in strong light. Give it the brightest spot you have, ideally several hours of direct sun, in a free-draining mix. Let the top two inches of soil dry before watering, roughly every 7 to 14 days, and water less in winter when growth slows.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

13–30 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining loamy mix that holds a little moisture

Propagation

Softwood stem cuttings

Fertilizing

Balanced feed monthly in spring and summer

Growth rate

Fast

Flowering

Grown for burgundy foliage; flowers are inconspicuous

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Euphorbiaceae produce a milky latex that is a skin and mucous-membrane irritant and toxic if ingested. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Caribbean Copperplant yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.