My Favorite Plant and I – Euphorbia Leuconeura

This is me, Wendel, with my favorite plant. I live with my husband and three children, and we’ve been in our beautiful Gein3dorp home for 15 years, with a three-year break in between in Berlin. We love living here, especially because it’s so green.

Plants are my passion, and I’ve even made it my profession. Maybe you’ve seen me ride by on my cargo bike filled with cuttings or half-dead plants. I constantly propagate new plants, and when my house gets too full, I donate them to the Regenboog Montessori school in the neighborhood.



Through these donations, I came across this beautiful plant. Or rather, I think it’s beautiful—most people find it ugly, with its dark green leaves and square stem. It’s an Euphorbia Leuconeura, also known as the Madagascar Jewel. In German, it’s called a "Spuckpalme" (Spit Palm), because, as the name suggests, it shoots out its seeds into the air. The school principal at the time, Rob Schimmel, offered me one in exchange (he also found it quite creepy, apparently). He thought it would yield the same results as an avocado pit—but little did he know what was coming!

One evening, I was reading a book on the couch when I suddenly heard a strange noise. As if something had cracked. Then, I heard tiny objects bouncing around. Miraculously, I found adorable little baby plants popping up near my other plants! After some research, I discovered tiny black seed pods on the ground. That’s when I realized—this is how this plant spreads! Magic! After some Googling, I found its name.

I started collecting the seeds (though vacuuming is a bit risky—you don’t want to accidentally suck one up!), and I’ve since given away a lot of baby plants. They’re beautiful, with fresh green leaves and delicate white veins. If you’d like a seedling, let me know!

Additionally, I think it would be fun to make this a recurring feature. And since I’m also a photographer, I’d love to take a portrait of you with your favorite plant. A cherished item in your home, as long as it has a great story. That way, we can get to know the residents of our community a little better!

Just email me at contact@studiowendel.com or via my contact page here on my website.

Whether you want to pick up a seedling or need advice on a struggling plant, let’s make the homes in Gein a little greener!