Botanical Name: Euphorbia tirucalli
Common Name: Pencil tree, Pencil bush, Milk bush
Type of Plant: dicot: tree
Character evergreen
 
Habit of Growth:
Overall Shape an upright, single or multi-trunked plant, with distinctive thin, smooth, leafless, succulent branching pattern; forms dense rounded-oval canopy if unpruned; stems exude a milky acrid sap if cut
Height 10' - 20'
Spread 1/2 - equal
Growth Rate slow
 
Environment:
Exposure outdoors full or partial sun (can be grown indoors as houseplant)
Soil well-draining loam; avoid wet, poorly drained soils
Hardiness some frost (zones 13, 23-24): prefers warm sunny coast
 
Morphology:
Leaves virtually none; tiny leaves fall off leaving the naked bluish-gray green pencil-thick stems
Flowers inconspicuous; not horticulturally important
Fruit inconspicuous; not horticulturally important
 
Propagation:
cuttings (allow to harden off before planting)
 
Usage:
a distinctive container plant or accent tree, valued for unusual silhouette and branching form; generally used as an interest plant
 
Landscape Care:
Watering an occasional deep soak; very drought-tolerant
Fertilizing little required
Pruning thin out the canopy occasionally for dramatic shape
Pests/Diseases relatively free
Special Conditions/Other avoid getting milky sap or mist of milky sap in eyes
 
Origin: Madagascar
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Notes:
 
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