Pencil Cactus Euphorbia tirucalli
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Pencil Cactus:
- Phonetic Spelling
- yoo-FOR-bee-ah tee-roo-KAL-lye
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Indian tree spurge is a succulent, spineless shrub or tree with a heavy trunk, brown primary branches, and pencil-like, green, new branches. Leaves cluster at the tip of the branches as do insignificant flowers within showy bracts, and the branch tips turn brightly colored when grown in bright sunlight. It is tropical to semi-tropical by nature and reliably winter hardy to USDA Zone 11. It is currently surviving in southern parts of Florida and California in Zone 10. It is drought tolerant and when grown outdoors in warm climates, the tree can reach heights of 30 feet and is typically used as a hedge or barrier. When grown in more temperate climates, it can be kept smaller and used as a houseplant.
When grown outdoors, the plant does best in dry climates where the temperature ranges from 50 degrees in the evening and 75 degrees during the day. Plant in well-drained soils that are nourishing but without high organic content and water only when the soil is dry. If local conditions include host summers, it is best to site the plant where there is some afternoon shade. When grown indoors, use coarse loams with peat moss or leaf mold plus gritty material such as coarse sand.
Wear gloves when working with this plant to avoid contact with its toxic sap.
Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Watch for nematodes, spider mites, aphids, and mealybugs. Fungal and bacterial diseases can appear.
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:
-
- 'Sticks of Fire'
pencil-like stems of reddish-gold that fade to shades of yellow during the summer, back to red during winter
- 'Sticks of Fire'
- 'Sticks of Fire'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Sticks of Fire'
pencil-like stems of reddish-gold that fade to shades of yellow during the summer, back to red during winter
- 'Sticks of Fire'
- 'Sticks of Fire'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Euphorbia
- Species:
- tirucalli
- Family:
- Euphorbiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Ethiopia, Tropical Africa and east to India and Indonesia
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Tolerates drought and poor soil
- Edibility:
- toxic sap
- Dimensions:
- Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Houseplant
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Succulent
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
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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
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- Seeds ovoid, smooth, buff speckled with brown and with a dark brown ventral line.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Insignificant
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Long Bloom Season
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 2-3 rays/petals
- Bracts
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Inconspicuous yellow flowers at the top of the branchlets in stalk-less clusters within large petal-like showy bracts. Blossoms from May to July. Bracts typically hide the inconspicuous tiny yellowish flowers within.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Fleshy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Other/more complex
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Oblanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Tiny, 1 inch leaves cluster at the tip of the branches and soon drop.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Orange
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Heavy trunk with thick primary branches which are woody and brown. New branchlets are fragile and green with a short cylindrical shape having a brittle, pencil-like thickness, often forming clusters at the branch ends. The branch tips turn bright orange in sunlight.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Houseplants
- Vertical Spaces
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Design Feature:
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
-
-
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:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
