Euphorbia trigona AKA Cathedral Cactus or African MilkTree
Plant Bio: Native to Central Africa part of an ancient & diverse family
Positioning: Your Euphorbia trigona requires very good light but avoid direct, intense midday light.
Watering: Your Euphorbia trigona is drought tolerant water when medium has completely dried out.
Growth Habit: Your Euphorbia trigona is slow growing but over time can reach a height of over a metre.
Pot Size: Your Euphorbia trigona is supplied in a 7cm pot.
Safety: The sap of this plant is toxic if injested so handle with care.
Plant Bio :
Part of an ancient & diverse genus of flowering plants which have adapted to live in every possible niche in their Central African home. They range from plants which are under 10cm to large trees. What they have in common is a white, toxic sap hence the common name of milk trees. Whilst slow growing Euphorbia tigona can reach a stately height of over a metre grown well indoors. It has three sided dark green ridged stems adorned with small, reddish-brown spines & small, round green or purple leaves. This plant is popular for its striking architectural form & is not, despite its common name, a cactus but a plant adapted in a similar way to cope with arid conditions.
Positioning
Your Euphorbia trigona will require a spot with very good light. However as glass intensifies light avoid the intense midday sun of a south facing window unless this is filtered through trees outside. An east or west facing windowsill is ideal. Avoid places, such as kitchens and bathrooms, with higher humidity as this plant is adapted to an arid environment.
Watering
These are drought resistant plants. The milky sap they are famous for contains a lot of water which enables the plant to survive for long periods of water. This makes it very tolerant of neglect. However if you would like it to grow into an impressively architectural plant water it every time the medium dries out in order to maintain consistent rates of growth.
Growth Habits
In its native habitat Euphorbia trigona can grow to the size of a small tree. These are famously shallow rooted but as they often propogate themselves vegitatively a fallen 'tree' is an opportunity for the plant to spread. In a position with good light and consistant watering indoors in the UK they can grow over a metre tall.
Pot Size
Your Euphorbia trigona is supplied in a 7 cm nursery pot along with its own comprehensive easy to follow care guide which covers additional topics including repotting and pests and diseases common to this plant and remedies for them.
Toxicity
The milky sap in this plant is highly toxic if injested. Handle with extreme care particularly during repotting or propogation.
