Euphorbia trigona – Indoor House Plants

Euphorbia trigona is easy to care for. It 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 inches (5 mm) 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’s flowers are white or a combination of white and light yellow. The blossoms show up on spring and summer, but potted versions of the plant may not grow flowers at all.

Scientific Name: Euphorbia trigona
Common Name: African milk tree, cathedral cactus, Abyssinian euphorbia, and high chaparral.

How to grow and maintain African milk tree:

Light:
These don’t really need to have full sun, but they do require very bright light or they will turn out to be thin and weak. Drastically increasing light intensity can lead to problems, if you’re going to bring an indoor plant outside, do so gradually, in steadily-increasing intensity and duration. In the event that you simply throw it out into the center of the front yard, it’ll burn.

Soil:
Euphorbia trigona like soil that drains water away quickly, with mostly sand, possibly mixed with smooth stones, pumice or grit. A dense or moist soil will result in the cactus rotting.

Temperature:
Normal warmth will go down to low temps over winter if kept dry. Its ideal temperature is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water:
Water moderately during the growing season and hardly at all during winter.

Fertilizer:
Include a little measure of compost diluted in water in the spring to jump-start new growth, but do not add it any other time of year. It is slow-growing and can easily be over-fertilized

Propagation:
Propagate from seed, or by stem cuttings. A stem can be evacuated at the base with a sharp knife. It needs to be left to callus over for a few days to lessen the chances of rotting. The cutting is then planted directly into a cactus and succulent potting mix. Keep the soil moist for a 4 – 6 weeks. Keep the cutting in light shade.

Note:
Handle this plant with heavy garden gloves if you have sensitive skin. Indeed, even a small amount of Euphorbia trigona plant is toxic, sticky, white, latex sap can produce painful irritation of your skin. Wash the material off right away if you get any on your skin. Try not to enable it to come into contact with your eyes or mucous membranes.