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Mottled spurge

Euphorbia lactea

Also called Devil's Walking Stick, Candelabra Spurge, Candelabra Cactus, Dragon Bones, False Cactus, Hat Rack Cactus

In Singapore: Elkhorn, Candelabra Plant, Frilled Fan, Crested Euphorbia, Dragon Bones, False Cactus, Variegated Elkhorn, Variegated Candelabra Plant, Variegated Frilled Fan, Alabaster Swirl, Variegated Crested Euphorbia (Grown in Singapore)

Mottled spurge
Photo: Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0

Euphorbia lactea is a succulent, cactus-like shrub or small tree from South Asia, grown for its ridged, spiny stems. Give it bright light, sharp drainage and water only when the soil is fully dry.

Family
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Grows as
Tree, Succulent
Light
Full sun, Bright indirect
Water
Water deeply only when the soil is completely dry, and water much less in winter.
Soil
Fast-draining cactus or succulent mix with added grit or perlite.
Temperature
18–30 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: All parts contain a poisonous milky latex with irritating alkaloids such as phorbol, which can burn skin and eyes and cause severe irritation if swallowed.
Native range
Sri Lanka
Climate
seasonally dry tropical

About

Euphorbia lactea is a species of spurge native to arid and subtropical regions of South Asia, mainly the Indian Subcontinent. Common names include mottled spurge, frilled fan, elkhorn, candelabra spurge, candelabrum tree, candelabra cactus, candelabra plant, dragon bones, false cactus, hatrack cactus, milkstripe euphorbia, mottled candlestick.

How to grow it

It is used medicinally in India. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant, both in the tropics, and as a houseplant in temperate regions; a number of cultivars have been selected for ornamental use, notably 'Cristata' with frilled branching.

Other Euphorbia plants

Abd Al Kuri Euphorbia · Desert Candle · Greek Spiny Spurge · Euphorbia actinoclada · Miniature Saguaro · Pincushion Euphorbia · Euphorbia alcicornis · Euphorbia alfredii · Euphorbia ambarivatoensis · Euphorbia ambovombensis · African candelabra · Euphorbia ampliphylla

[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 lactea 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.

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