Madagascar is home to some of the most unusual and fun to grow succulent Euphorbias, including E. francoisii. I like growing E. francoisii because like Haworthia, it comes in a myriad of leaf shapes and colors. I've been breeding E. francoisii (though on a much smaller scale than Haworthia) for interesting leaf shapes and patterns. A few years ago I kept a lookout for out-of-the-ordinary leaf clones to use as breeding stock. I had been breeding for dense leaf coloration but have since moved more towards breeding for blackish leaves with intricate veination. My favorable breeding stock plant was one I found as a seedling years ago at the Great Petaluma Dessert:

Great plant but very fussy for a francoisii and an abysmal seed producer. Even so I have used this plant extensively in my francoisii breeding and it's proven to be great plant to use as  breeding stock.  Listed bellow are some of the francoisii I've raised from seed. Click here for a picture of francoisii babies. Click the thumbnails below for pictures and information about plants I've raised from seed.