Pencil Tree (Euphorbia tirucalli) in the Euphorbias Database

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Shrub Tree Cactus/Succulent
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 9a -6.7 °C (20 °F) to -3.9 °C (25 °F)
Plant Height:	25 feet
Leaves:	Deciduous
Flowers:	Other: In the genus Euphorbia, the flowers are reduced in size and aggregated into a cluster of flowers called a cyathium (plural cyathia). This feature is present in every species of the genus Euphorbia but nowhere else in the plant kingdom.
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Suitable Locations:	Xeriscapic Houseplant
Uses:	Windbreak or Hedge Will Naturalize
Dynamic Accumulator:	B (Boron)
Resistances:	Humidity tolerant Drought tolerant
Toxicity:	Other: All members of the genus Euphorbia produce a milky sap called latex that is toxic and can range from a mild irritant to very poisonous.
Propagation: Other methods:	Cuttings: Stem
Containers:	Suitable in 3 gallon or larger Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil
Conservation status:	Least Concern (LC)

Conservation status:

Common names

Pencil Tree
Milk Bush
Indian Tree Spurge
Blind-Eye
Euphorbia

Photo Gallery

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Uploaded by skopjecollection

Location: Tampa, Florida
Date: 2015-12-19
This was only 8 inches tall when it was given to me as a gift al

Uploaded by GigiAdeniumPlumeria

Location: San Marino
Date: 2014-06-06
Huntington Gardens

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: My garden in Tampa, Florida
Date: 2023-03-28
Spider web 🕸️ on my pencil tree is visible this foggy mornin

Uploaded by GigiAdeniumPlumeria

Location: Desert Botanical Garden Phoenix Arizona
Date: 2016-01-04

Uploaded by plantmanager

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Opp, AL Z8b
Date: 2022-12-27
freeze-ruined foliage, limp stems & discolored leaves

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Date: Dec 2014

Uploaded by plantmanager

Uploaded by Hortica

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2023-09-20

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Opp, AL Z8b
Date: 2017-12-03
4 individuals in 1 pot.

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Uploaded by lauriebasler

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Baja California
Date: 2018-01-31

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2023-10-21

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Baja California
Date: 2020-12-24

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Southwest Florida
Date: February 2014
Quite possibly the largest Pencil Cactus I have ever seen.

Uploaded by Dutchlady1

Location: Greenwood, IN
Date: 2017-03-26

Uploaded by BPadilla

Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2016-03-30
Such a mild winter (no night below about 23), this left-outside p

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Uploaded by mcvansoest

Location: Tampa, Florida
Date: May 2014
Just a couple sticks/branches last year. Now a full grown plants.

Uploaded by GigiAdeniumPlumeria

Location: Orangeburg, SC
Date: 2015-10-17
Euphorbia Pencil Cactus

Uploaded by Deebie

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Botanical garden of Madeira
Date: 2023-04-11

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2013-12-14

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2017-05-05

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by TennesseeDave

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Bordine's Greenhouse, Rochester Hills, MI
Date: 2010-03-06

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Biltmore, Asheville, NC
Date: 2014-03-02

Uploaded by bob

Photo Courtesy of Mountain Crest Gardens. Used with permission.

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2015-09-25
Necrotic spots from sunburned. Too much direct sun, too quickly,

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Orto Botanico di Cagliari - Sardinia
Date: 2017-09-10

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Orto Botanico di Cagliari - Sardinia

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2015-09-27
2 new stems to the left about a month after putting a cutting in

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Date: 2010-06-26
This guy loves full sun!

Uploaded by Mangogirl

Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2017-01-13
Frozen extra plant that wouldn't fit in greenhouse, after 3 night

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2013-05-19

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Green Spring Gardens, Alexandria, Virginia, US
Date: 2017-09-17
Firesticks (Euphorbia tirucalli 'Rosea')

Uploaded by Nick_Kurzenko

Location: Quad Cities Botanical Garden, Rock Island, Il.
Date: 2012-07-01

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2010-04-18

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2009-03-28

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Botanic Garden La Concepcion Malaga
Date: 2017-03-07

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by BPadilla

Uploaded by ljones26

Location: Van der Veer Botanical garden, Davenport, Ia.
Date: 2011-07-02

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Savannah, Georgia (in my house)
Date: 2013-12-31
Gift from daughter at Christmas.

Uploaded by greene

Location: Sarasota, FL
Date: 2015-04-30
At Selby Gardens

Uploaded by mellielong

Uploaded by mellielong

Photo courtesy of Kevin Morykwas, Steve's Leaves, Inc.

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Uploaded by Nick_Kurzenko

Location: US National Arboretum, Washington DC, US
Date: 2017-08-27
Firesticks (Euphorbia tirucalli 'Rosea')

Uploaded by Nick_Kurzenko

Location: Pacific Northwest, zone 8
Date: Feb 18, 2012
Photo taken at Al's Garden Center, Woodburn, Oregon

Uploaded by valleylynn

Uploaded by Paul2032

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by Baja_Costero (Baja California - Zone 11b) on Jan 3, 2016 7:50 PM concerning plant:

Stick-like succulent that can grow to be a large tree in permissive climates (beware, cold sensitive!). Easy to start from cuttings but handle with great care as the sap is a nasty irritant (use gloves, sharp tools, eye protection). Needs strong light to do well... will stretch and droop in low light. Like other tree Euphorbias it will drop branches during strong wind events. Old trees run an increasingly high risk of falling over under their own weight.

It also does surprisingly well in containers, and the stick-like juvenile form can be grown as a miniature. There are orange and red versions of this plant (common name "Firesticks") which have much more ornamental appeal and do not usually grow beyond the size of a large bush.

Reply to this comment
Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Oct 24, 2011 1:43 PM concerning plant:

Very easy to propagate, but beware if you plant it in the ground. In a favorable climate, E. tirucalli can grow very large and spread quickly. The plant is then prone to breaking and falling apart in the wind and can make a colossal mess in a garden.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
Belovedhoneygirl	On February 1, 2017	Obtained plant

» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant

Thread Title	Last Reply	Replies
love! by BPadilla	Apr 30, 2017 12:10 PM	3

« Add a new plant to the database

» Search the Euphorbias Database: by characteristics or by cultivar name

« See the general plant entry for Euphorbias (Euphorbia)

« The Euphorbias Database Front Page

« The Plants Database Front Page

Euphorbias Pencil Tree (Euphorbia tirucalli)

Euphorbias

Pencil Tree (Euphorbia tirucalli)