False Cactus Euphorbia lactea
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- yoo-FOR-bee-ah lak-TAY-ah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Mottled spurge is a deciduous, spiny, usually leafless, cactus-like succulent shrub or small tree. It can grow to a height of 15 feet but is typically maintained as a 1 to 2-foot houseplant. The plant has spiny stems and mottled branches that are green with white lines, sometimes growing in a crested (cristate) form. Tiny leaves do appear in summer but drop quickly leaving the plant leafless. Flowering is rare and the plant does not tolerate frost. Other characteristics include 4-angled stems with paired black stem thorns. If injured, the plant will ooze a toxic, milky latex.
Mottled spurge is best grown in well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It cannot tolerate wet soil, but you can allow soils to dry out after each watering. Water consistently in summer to prevent soils from totally drying out and decrease watering in winter. The plant is winter hardy to zone 10 but is intolerant of frost. Potted plants can be overwintered indoors or grown, year-round, as a houseplant.
The plant has adapted itself to dry regions and appears in many tropical and sub-tropical areas worldwide. It has been known to escape from cultivation and form dense thickets. It grows wild in tropical Asia and is widely cultivated in the West Indies, Florida and many tropical areas worldwide. Avoid contact with poisonous plant sap by wearing gloves
Disease, Insects, and Other Plant Problems:
No known serious insect or disease problems. Aphids, mealybugs and nematodes may appear. Watch for mites.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti", a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Cristata'
crested form, fan-shaped branches, grows up to 3 feet tall, purple or pink flowers - 'White Ghost'
upright, non-crested, pale greenish, sensitive to direct light
- 'Cristata'
- 'Cristata', 'White Ghost'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Cristata'
crested form, fan-shaped branches, grows up to 3 feet tall, purple or pink flowers - 'White Ghost'
upright, non-crested, pale greenish, sensitive to direct light
- 'Cristata'
- 'Cristata', 'White Ghost'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Euphorbia
- Species:
- lactea
- Family:
- Euphorbiacea
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Sri Lanka, India, Thailand
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- deer and drought resistant
- Edibility:
- Toxic if eaten
- Dimensions:
- Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Houseplant
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Succulent
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Ascending
- Columnar
- Erect
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Spines
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Insignificant
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Mottled spurge rarely flowers, but inconspicuous flowers with a yellow tinge sometimes appear near the stem tips. When flowers do appear, they are inconspicuously located in paired cyathia near the stem tips.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Variegated
- Leaf Feel:
- Prickly
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Whorled
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Tiny leaves appear at the growing tips in summer, but drop quickly leaving plants leafless most of the time.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Black
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Description:
- Four angled spiny stems with paired black thorns. Mottled branches (green with white lines). May grow in a cristate form.
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-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Houseplants
- Design Feature:
- Hedge
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Rabbits
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Children
- Problem for Dogs
- Spines/Thorns
-
-
Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- The milky white latex sap found in all plant parts can cause mild to severe contact dermatitis. If contact with the eyes occurs the sap can cause temporary to permanent damage to the cornea. If eaten, blistering can occur on lips and oral mucosa. Avoid ingesting plant parts and keep plants away from pets and children.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Diterpene esters in milky latex.
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- Yes
- Poison Part:
- Leaves
- Sap/Juice
