African Milk Tree

Euphorbia trigona is a perennial plant, up to 9 feet (2.7 m) tall. It has an upright stem that is branched into three or four sides. The stem itself is dark green with V-shaped light green patterns. The up to 0.2 inch (5 mm) long thorns are placed in pairs of two on the stem’s ri

I inherited an African Milk Tree from a friend and it's been so happy, it's grown about 2 feet! However, a four foot tall skinny cactus th...

The African milk tree is a Euphorbia and thrives in conditions traditional for most cacti. It is sometimes called the cathedral tree because the stems rise up from the base like the turrets and spires on a grand old church. African milk tree has all the best characteristics of a succulent and cactus. It does have a potentially toxic sap so care must be taken to wear gloves and keep from rubbing your eyes. The plant is most often grown indoors because of the necessity of very warm temperatures and frost tender status. Euphorbias are easy to grow with the exception of irrigation, which is hard to manage.

How to grow African Milk Tree (Euphorbia trigona), plant pictures and planting care instructions supplied by real gardeners.

Commonly called African milk tree, Euphorbia trigona is a hardy, low-maintenance succulent noted for its erect, columnar branches and slender leaves. It grows outdoors in U.S....

Also known as African milk bush, friendship cactus and candelabra cactus, Euphorbia trigona is not a tree, bush or cactus. While the succulent African milk tree grows successfully in United States ...

Euphorbia trigona (also known as African milk tree,[1] cathedral cactus,[1] Abyssinian euphorbia,[2] and high chaparall[3][4][dubious – discuss]) is a perennial plant that originally comes from Central Africa. It has an upright stem and number of branches that also grow upward. The stem and branches can have two or three sides. The stem itself is dark green with V-shaped light green patterns. The about 5mm long thorns are placed in pairs of two on the stem's ridges. The drop shaped leaves grow from between the two thorns on each ridge. The plant has never been known to flower,[5][6] and is possibly a hybrid.[6] As with many other Euphorbia species, the latex from the plant is poisonous and can cause skin irritations.[6] The trigona can withstand brief cold temperatures of up to -3 degrees. It prefers sandy soil but can withstand most types of well-drained soil. It can root easily from stem cuttings, if allowed to dry for 3-7 days before planting so that it can form a callus and not rot. It grows from 1.5 - 3 meters. It is a pest-free plant. A problem that some trigonas face is that they are susceptible to falling over when fully grown because of their shallow and small root system [7]