What Is The Ideal Temperature For Euphorbia Tirucalli?

Is Euphorbia Tirucalli Indigenous?

Yes, it is primarily native to semi-arid tropical areas of eastern and southern Africa, but it was introduced and naturalized many years ago along Arab commerce routes from the Arabian Peninsula to India and Indonesia.

Euphorbia tirucalli, also known as Pencil Cactus, Sticks on Fire, Aveloz, Naked Lady, or Pencil Tree, is a succulent found in semi-arid tropical settings. The Pencil Cactus is native to Africa and India, where it grows primarily in black clay soil.

Is Euphorbia Tirucalli A Succulent?

The firestick plant (pencil cactus or Euphorbia tirucalli) is a succulent, not a cactus. The firestick succulent is also known as the pencil cactus, stick cactus, fire plant, pencil plant, and ‘sticks on fire.’

Images of the firestick plant show how it got its name. The succulent has bunches of pencil-like stems that are orangey-red in color and appear to be on fire.

The firestick plant is a shrubby succulent of the Euphorbiaceae family. ‘Fire sticks’ is a cultivar of the pencil cactus that is also known as ‘Rosea’ (Euphorbia tirucalli). With its magnificent stem color, it is a very ornamental plant for any garden or landscaped setting.

Can You Grow Euphorbia Tirucalli From Seed?

Yes, but it is not very common to do so.

A pencil cactus can be grown from seed, but because the seeds are so little, most gardeners prefer to buy already grown plants from a garden center. If you want to attempt growing the plant from seed, see your local garden center for instructions.

Euphorbia tirucalli seedlings are susceptible to fungal and bacterial infections. They do not tolerate transplanting well, but once established they are quite hardy and can grow in poor soil and even with little rainfall

Is Euphorbia Tirucalli An Indoor Plant?

The pencil cactus is commonly grown as a houseplant, however due to its hazardous components, care must be given. While you can start a houseplant any time of year, it is preferable to start it in the spring at the start of the growing season. And, unlike many cacti, this plant grows quickly.

Pencil Cacti are a popular ornamental houseplant due to their ease of growth. They can withstand direct sunlight, dryness, and even long periods of inactivity. As a result, the Pencil Cactus is an excellent choice for both novice and seasoned gardeners.

What Is The Ideal Temperature For Euphorbia Tirucalli?

Temperatures ranging from 50°F to 70°F (10°C – 21°C) are ideal for firestick plants. Although firestick succulents may resist some frost, they require temperatures of at least 30°F (-1°C) to flourish. Even in hot, arid regions, firestick succulents may thrive in temperatures as high as 100°F (37°C).

If you live in a region where there is frequent frost in the winter, you can protect your plants from the harsh cold.

To assist succulents, live, cover with frost blankets or use a tiny greenhouse. Keep firestick cactus outside in the fall and winter to enjoy the magnificent red foliage when the pencil twigs turn color.

Pencil cacti, as a semi-arid tropical plant, can withstand temperatures as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius).

During the winter, cover your outside plants with frost cloth or plastic, or move them indoors or into a greenhouse.

What Is Euphorbia Tirucalli?

The pencil cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli) is a fascinating shrub native to semi-arid tropical areas with succulent foliage. In the wild, it can become fairly huge.

Mature plants have thick brown branches with clusters of smaller green branches at the tips that are cylindrical in shape and about the thickness of a pencil (thus the plant’s popular name).

Oval leaves up to an inch long grow on the branches. Small flowers appear at the ends of the green branches in the late spring and early summer. This plant is devoid of the spiky spines present on many cacti.

Do Euphorbia Tirucalli Have Flowers?

When the pencil cactus matures and becomes strong enough to develop blossoms for reproduction, it will begin to produce flowers. It may take some time for the pencil cactus to grow and bloom.

Pencil cactus often has a thick trunk with brown branches. Those branches would also be woody.

Their new branchlets, on the other hand, would adopt a cylindrical shape and be as thick as a pencil. They would also form clusters at the branches’ tips.

They were visible at the branchlets’ edges, and they grew in stalkless clusters. They would also resemble big petals or beautiful bracts. They would also try to conceal the small yellow blooms that were hidden inside.

They do not have a distinct scent. These flowers would only persist for a few days.

Unfortunately, the entire pencil cactus, including its blossoms, is toxic, and there is no safe component of the plant to be found.

What Are Common Problems With Euphoria Tirucalli And How Can I Fix Them?

When you overwater a firestick plant, the succulent stalks droop. The fleshy stalks’ green, red, or yellow color may fade and develop an unattractive gray or brown. Don’t water a pencil plant until the soil dries out to help it recover from overwatering.

In severe cases, the succulent may need to be repotted in fresh, sterile potting soil.

Sunburn often causes brown pencil stems on a firestick plant. Although the firestick plant requires up to six hours of sunlight every day, direct sunlight can burn and brown the leaves and stems. If the pencil plant is getting too much direct sunshine, give it some shade.

It is not recommended to keep a firestick plant indoors. Pruning the deadly succulent takes extreme caution. Also, children and cats may obtain the irritant white sap on their skin or eyes, causing substantial irritation.

How Do I Care For My Euphorbia Tirucalli Cuttings?

A few steps must be taken to guarantee that your new firestick cuttings root properly. First and foremost, you must protect your skin and eyes from the harmful sap. Second, to promote proper propagation, the cuttings must dry before replanting.

Plant the cuttings in tiny pots with a soilless medium to enable a new pencil plant grow. Keep the cuttings in a low-light environment and spray them to keep them wet.

Increase the brightness and reduce misting gradually over a few weeks. Once the new cuttings have established themselves, you can continue to care for the firestick plant as usual.

Where Is Euphorbia Tirucalli Found?

It is found throughout Africa on black clay soils, with a strong presence in northeastern, central, and southern Africa.

It may possibly be native to other sections of the continent, as well as several nearby islands and the Arabian Peninsula, and has been brought to a variety of tropical regions, including Brazil, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Ghana.

It grows in dry places, particularly the savanna, and is frequently used to feed cattle or as a hedging plant. It is highly recognized in Sri Lanka, where it is known as Kalli in Tamil and Sinhala, as recorded in the Akananuru by Sri Lankan Tamil poet Eelattu Poothanthevanar.

Can I Grow This Plant Outdoors?

Yes. Growing firestick pencil cactus outdoors is possible, but it requires special care. While growing firestick plants indoors is possible, most people choose to grow them in pots.

As with most cacti, Euphorbia Tirucalli does not tolerate the cold temperatures of winter and will not prosper outdoors unless kept under cover in a greenhouse. However, firestick pencil cacti may tolerate temperatures as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius).

If you live in a hot, dry climate, the pencil cactus may thrive outdoors with little care. The pencil cactus thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 11 and 12.

Is It Safe To Keep Euphorbia Tirucalli At All?

As frightening as all of this seems, you don’t need to be overly concerned.

There are numerous potentially deadly plants, but fortunately, the majority of them taste bad and accidental intake is uncommon.

You are unlikely to have difficulties with accidental skin contact exposure if you situate your pencil tree plant appropriately, so that people and pets are not continually brushing up against it.

Just remember to use extreme caution when pruning and to use eye protection. The pencil tree cactus does more than merely drop sap. It has been observed squirting or spraying it!

Why Is My Euphorbia Tirucalli Leaves Mushy?

Overwatering is the most common cause of mushy. The plant will appear sickly and will be fragile and mushy to the touch. These are typically symptoms of overwatering your plant. Reduce watering and let the plant to dry out and recover from overwatering.

Do not water the plant until it has totally dried out. If the soil is not drying out quickly enough and remains wet for an extended period of time, consider switching to a fast-draining potting mix.

Root rot can develop if left in moist soil. If you find rot, you can still salvage the plant by cutting off all of the plant’s dead components. Save anything that appears to be green and viable for propagation and repotting.

Remember that it is easier to ‘repair’ an underwatered plant than an overwatered one, so when in doubt, water cautiously.