Far from an expert, but if the plant lives as far from the window as the photo suggests, then maybe a lack of light? When older leaves are smaller than the newer leaves, this often means a diminished amount of light. Also, these are opportunistic growers, so they don't like to be completely dry for long periods of time.

It's definitely not lack of light. In that photo, the plant is sitting one foot from a south-facing glass wall. I'm on the 20th floor. Its permanent spot is about three feet from the window, to keep it out of direct sun (it gets a little around 3:00 pm).

three feet from a window is way too dark without supplemental light. Just bringing them from the outside of the glass to the inside, you lose almost 40% of the light energy. 3 ft. more ...? If you have a doubt, get a light meter and prepare to be amazed. Just wondering, why do you not want direct light on these plants that can take full sun if grown outside? This is from a nursery that grows them near Mumbai, India, well within the tropic zone:
"LIGHT: Under our conditions of intense sunshine and hot temperatures, we need 30% shade over the plants. Under less harsh conditions, they can do with little or no shade. On the other hand, shade levels over 50% will lead to poor flowering in most clones."

I'll try a light meter, out of curiosity, but I'd be really shocked if it was lack of light. "Window" isn't really the right word when it's a glass building. I fried multiple plants before I finally realized that the only green things that could handle this amount of direct sunlight were cacti and succulents. Orchids do okay, but any closer than 5 feet and they begin to burn and discolor. Since it's been a few weeks, I'll move this guy a little closer and see if the leaves get mad at me.

Ah, thanks for your insight! You know, you read so much "don't overwater" that I err on the side of caution. I do fertilize weakly, but I've been cutting back as temps start dipping. Maybe I'm giving it what it needs to grow, but not what it needs to sustain the buds.

Tomorrow I'll tip it out of the pot and check it out. Maybe it needs some perlite in there. Next week I'll feed it. Knowing that these are succulents that don't mind a slightly heavier sip is helpful.

A friend of mine had one of these little guys in her west-facing window, and she neglected it terribly (even for a succulent), but damn if that thing didn't always have a teeny little flower or two! I can't say it doesn't irk me that I'm giving this plant the world and I'm gettin' nuthin'.

(PS: I think this one is red, but I've looked high and low for a lovely cream-colored COT like yours! Very pretty.)

This post was edited by Danielle317 on Fri, Oct 18, 13 at 1:21

The heat from the glass is in a sence cooking the flowers off. Even at prime point of sales hot house they use shade cloth and filter the sun and heat.
Pot size does seem okay I think plastic may have a part in over heating the root as well.

I'm sensing a move to new digs. Terra cotta digs. We'll just change everything and see what gives!

And while I've been boo-hooing over barely existent buds here, the Euphorbia leuconeura I keep in the next room flowered and I missed it! I'm hopeless.

(Edited to add: Maybe I didn't miss it? Maybe it's still in the process of flowering?)

This post was edited by Danielle317 on Fri, Oct 18, 13 at 15:15

Excuse me, I would NOT put the E millii in clay, does better in plastic, I've done both (also helps to conserve water for its thirsty self). In my earlier advise Danielle (above), I suggested lots more water, not a slightly heavier sip as you said, rather a MUCH LARGER drink to flow through the bottom (not just a bit more than one would think). I'd also stop fertilizing 'til you figure out why the buds are blasting.

I still think it's a drainage problem & would still check underneath. I've grown mine in the west windows & haven't had the buds cook off as suggested above. I think unless one is in CA or FL, they wouldn't burn like that through the glass.

That would seem to be E leuco...'s flowers. I'd only had it had the stuff on the stem edges, nice never saw those little flowers before just charming.

Just reporting back on the COT buds. Pirate girl hit the nail on the head: it needed lots more water! I was being over cautious, and though it was being watered enough to keep it growing, it was not enough to have it flower.

I've been watering 2-3 time a week (I could probably get away with less, but it's in a spot that dries out the soil in two days), and fertilizing once every 10-15 days. There's currently two buds, bigger than any of the preceding ones have ever gotten. Hopefully I didn't jinx myself, but I'm fairly sure at this point that the culprit was under-watering.

Thanks!

Hi Danielle,

Thanks for the update & you're most welcome; great to hear it's doing well for you. Look what I found earlier this week, & it snowed yesterday.

{{gwi:679059}}

Remind me come Spring, I can probably spare a cutting of white blooming, if you still want.

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Such a happy sight.

I'd love a cutting! Right now we've finally got one pair of flowers opening up, and a total of seven more buds in various stages of emerging. I'm not entirely convinced the woman is correct that the flowers will be red, but there is a blush developing on the petals, so perhaps. I've never had one before, so I have no clue at what point color develops. I don't care at this point, I'm just glad to have flowers!

Anyway, if there's a cutting to spare in the Spring, let me know, maybe I've even got something I can swap for it!

This post was edited by Danielle317 on Tue, Dec 31, 13 at 17:43

Hello Again D.,

How nice, congratulations to you! Looks to be a lovely yellow color from here. I look forward to more pix as yours progress pls.

Yes, sure, abt a cutting of white for Spring. I have to say I have trouble rooting these, but may have several separate plants.

Another gardening mentor recently reminded me that he roots these in water & I just tried that, but they rotted.

Sorry for the blur, but this one has a cool, deltoid shaped leaf that I'm partial to.

{{gwi:679061}}

Here's the white one again, still a small plant, but so rewarding.

{{gwi:679062}}

Yours looks like it's gonna be great & what an excellent close shot up too - what fun!

Here's the end result. It took about a week to get that color, and each day was another gorgeous shade between blush and red. It's funny how tickled I am to finally have a flower. They're bigger than I was expecting.

PG, I've never attempted rooting these guys. I'm still working on my patience and holding off on watering cuttings placed directly in soil ... but I've come a LONG way. I haven't had a casualty in quite some time, lol!

Nice Milli. Not to distract but you can root a cut stem in a glass of water.

Great work, congrats to you! That bright red, coming from such yellow looking buds is quite interesting.

FYI: you are not alone in that -- I have trouble rooting cuttings of this as well. I've lost them in mix & also in water rotting (after a mentor or mine reminded me that he roots COT in water). I just tossed another water rotted cutting out yesterday (sigh).

Fillyfree

I live in South Africa way down South. Similar climate to California. My Euphorbia Milii flower right through the year but just lately I noticed that the little new buds were going brown and dropping.I grow them inside right in the sunniest window. Beautiful. But I think that the problem is defiitely the potting mix because I changed to a new one recently. I do agree they like a fair bit of water. So a potting up job is waiting for me. Lets see if it is successful.

I find fine palm peat the best material for growing E. Milii cuttings. I keep them in bright shade for a few days before exposing to a few hours of bright sun.