Euphorbia tirucalli
Pencil tree · also Indian tree spurge, Milk bush, Fire stick
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Euphorbia tirucalli, also known as Pencil Tree, is a succulent, densely branched shrub or small tree with green, cylindrical stems. Native to semi-arid tropical Africa, it produces a poisonous white latex. It is often used as a hedge and can tolerate very low water conditions in urban landscapes.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 1180.03%35 yr7.5 in
- 70.00%—5.1 in
- 20.00%—7.3 in
Traits
- Form
- Multi-trunk
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 39.4–49.2 ft
- Canopy spread
- 10 ft
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water needs
- Low
- Drought tolerance
- High
- Wildlife value
- Low
- Blooms
- Jun, Jul, Aug
Trunk diameters across every city: median 7.5 in, mean 7.9 in, 90th percentile 15 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Deserts & Xeric Shrublands
- Madagascar spiny thickets
- Madagascar succulent woodlands
Tropical & Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
- Madagascar dry deciduous forests
Other Euphorbia in the catalogue
5 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
