Triangular spurge is a columnar, succulent tree-like euphorbia with three-angled green stems, grown widely in the tropics. It is a species and the type species of the genus Euphorbia, and it thrives in full sun with very little water.
Family
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Grows as
Succulent
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly, letting the soil dry out fully between waterings, and less in winter.
Soil
Fast-draining sandy or cactus-type mix.
Temperature
18–35 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: The milky latex is a strong irritant to skin and eyes and is harmful if swallowed; wear gloves when handling and avoid contact with eyes.
Native range
Pakistan to Indo-China and Jawa
Climate
wet tropical
About
Euphorbia antiquorum, known as antique spurge and "Euphorbia of the Ancients", is a species of succulent plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is widespread throughout peninsular India, but its wild origin is obscure. Escaped or naturalized and widely cultivated in neighbouring regions, such as Burma, China, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, and in many tropical zones worldwide.
The juice of this plant is a potent ingredient for a mixture of wall plaster, according to the Samarāṅgaṇa Sūtradhāra, which is a Sanskrit treatise dealing with Śilpaśāstra (Hindu science of art and construction).
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Euphorbia antiquorum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.