Euphorbia Lactea or Candelabra Cactus is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family. It is native to India and Sri Lanka. It is a spurge and grows like a tree in its native environments.
Euphorbia Lactea is referred to as the Candelabra Cactus because it resembles a candelabra. It’s also referred to as Mottled Spurge or Dragon Bones Tree. The Lactea refers to the toxic sap that comes out of the plant if you break it open.
There are around 2000 species of the Euphorbiaceae family.
Candelabra Cactus at a glance.
🪴 Appearance of Candelabra Cactus
The Candelabra Cactus resembles a candelabra with its upright stems. It is green with sometimes white or pink markings. Mine has whiter markings. Each segment has thorns.
☀️ What Light Does Candelabra Cactus Cactus Need?
Candelabra Cactus thrives in bright, medium-bright light. They prefer couple hours of bright afternoon sun, but the majority of the time it likes indirect light. Mine is currently in a south-west facing window, but it did well in a east window as well.
The brighter the light, the more the plant grows, but too much sun can cause sunburn.
🌡️ What Temperature and Humidity do Candelabra Cactus Like? 🌫️
Candelabra Cactus prefers a temperature between 18-24 degrees celsius, but can tolerate slightly lower temperatures in the winter. They also prefer lower humidity, but do well in average household humidity levels (40-60%).
I keep my euphorbiaceae closer to the window and away from the humidifier (I use the Levoit Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier (LV600HH)). I use my humidifier to ensure the humidity levels in my apartment stays between 40% and 60%. Since I live in Canada and the winters can be very dry, and the humidity can drop below 30% humidity, so its helpful to set the humidity at about 45% or 50% in this season to keep all of my plants happy.
🌱 How Does the Candelabra Cactus Grow?
On average, Candelabra Cactus can grow up to 2 feet.
New foliage grows out of the main centre stem of the Candelabra Cactus. New growth is a brighter green and fades to a darker green as it edges. All stems grow thorns.
🌸 Does the Candelabra Cactus Bloom?
As a houseplant, Euphorbia Lactea does not flower. In the wild, the Candelabra Cactus can flower.
Repotting Candelabra Cactus
Be careful repotting Candelabra Cactus as inside it contains a poisonous milky latex. I use thick gardening gloves when repotting my euphorbia or other sharp plants like cacti to ensure I don’t hurt myself. I love the gloves that I have because they are puncture resistant, but unfortunately they are no longer available. These gloves seem like a great alternative.
✂️ How to Propagate Candelabra Cactus?
The easiest way to start a new Candelabra Cactus is by stem cuttings, but be careful as the sap that comes out of the plant can irritate the skin. Make sure to wear proper protection when handling this plant.
Cuttings
Choose a stem from a healthy adult plant. Make sure the cutting has at least one node or this method won’t work. Wait for the cutting to callus over in a well lit spot. This should take a couple of days. Once the callus is formed, you can pot it into a well-draining potting mix.
You can also use rooting hormone on the cutting before putting it in the soil if you prefer. You won’t be able to see if the plant is rooting in the soil, but if the plant eventually dies, you know it didn’t root successfully.
Patience is key with propagation. Give your new plant time to settle into its environment. Once you see new growth, you know your plant is well established.
💧 How Much Water Does the Candelabra Cactus Need?
The Candelabra Cactus likes to dry out between waterings. To determine if your plant needs water, you can stick your finger in the soil (1 to 2 inches) and if it is dry, its ready for water!
If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can try a moisture meter (I personally have not used one, but I know quite a few people who do, and this one is really highly rated on Amazon).
This plant typically needs to be watered every 4 weeks (depending on your environment). In the winter you can water less to give this plant a rest.
I typically bottom water this plant through the drainage hole of the pot on a tray. It’s the easiest way to know if your plant is thirsty or not. Overwatering can lead to fungus gnats, root rot, or the death of your plant.
You can top water, but it’s best to do so in a pot with drainage until water is flowing out of the hole. If your pot doesn’t have drainage, you might accidentally drown your plant or make some fungus gnats very happy.
You should top water from time to time to make sure any built up minerals can wash through the plant. The water should drip out of the bottom of your drainage hole.
🪳 Pests & Problems 😔
Candelabra Cactus can face the following pests and problems.
🪳 Pests
- Mealy Bugs: these look like little white cotton balls on the plant. You can remove these with your fingers if you catch them early enough, but I would use a cotton swab with a drop of Isopropyl alcohol and try to scrape them off the stem. Mealy Bugs are attracted to succulent sap.
- Spider Mites: If spider mites have taken to your plant, spray them with a mixture of neem oil, dish soap and water (or you can buy an insecticidal soap). I repeat this about once or twice a week (depending on the severity of infestation) for about a month. It’s also good to do this preventatively once a month or so. You will know you have spider mites if you see webbing and leaf damage. Learn how to eradicate Spider Mites.
- Fungus gnats: These likely will only appear if you overwater the plant and root rot is starting. Spray the plant with a mixture of neem oil, dish soap and water. I also let the soil dry out and add dryer sheets on top of the soil so the gnats can’t sense the moisture on the soil.
😔 Other Common Problems
- Powdery Mildew: This looks white and moldy. This is caused my poor air circulation and too high of humidity. To eradicate this you can wash the plan with a mixture of one tablespoon of baking soda into a gallon of water.
- Overwatering: Root rot happens from overwatering your plant with insufficient drainage. You can improve the drainage of your plant by ensuring your plant is potted in a planter with a drainage hole and using a well draining soil (something with a decent amount of perlite). You can also end up with fungus gnats or fungal disease from overwatering.
- Underwatering: Even though plants prefer to be underwatered over overwatered, you still have to remember to water it on a consistent schedule. Signs of underwatering an include leaves becoming shrivelled, discoloured or dry.
- Sunburn: Even though you will often find this plant in bright, sunny environments, they can be burned. Just like in humans plants can burn. This plant turns kind of reddish when burning. To fix sunburn in the plant you can move it to a less sunny place.
- Cold temperatures: Damage from cold temperatures can lead to vulnerability to disease, visible discolouration, growth stagnation or death. You can prevent this by making sure your plant is not exposed to environments below the recommended temperatures.
- Temperature Fluctuations: This plant prefers stable temperatures and is sensitive to cold drafts. Damage from cold temperatures can lead to vulnerability to disease, visible discolouration, growth stagnation or death. You can prevent this by making sure your plant is not exposed to environments below the recommended temperatures.
☢️ Are Candelabra Cactus Toxic?
The sap of the Candelabra Cactus is toxic to humans and pets if ingested. Wear protection when handling the Euphorbia Lactea to avoid skin and eye irritation from the sap.
Candelabra Cactus Quick Care Guide
| Scientific Name | Euphorbia Lactea |
| Nickname | Candelabra Cactus |
| Origins | India and Sri Lanka |
| Light | Bright, direct (only for a couple hrs a day) and indirect, medium-light for the remainder of the day |
| Temperature | 18 to 24 degrees celsius (preferred) |
| Humidity | Low, but does well in average humidity (40-60%) |
| Height | Up to 2 feet |
| Blooms | In the wild only |
| Propagate | Stem cuttings |
| Water Frequency | When dry (likely once a month)] |
| Pests | Mealy Bugs, Spider Mites, Fungus Gnats] |
| Common Problems | Powdery Mildew, Overwatering (root rot), underwatering, fungal disease, sunburn, cold temperatures |
| Toxicity | Toxic Sap |
References
Below is a list of external sources I consulted while writing this post. This post is a mixture of my own experiences, and the external sources listed below:
https://www.epicgardening.com/euphorbia-lactea/
https://jomostudio.com/products/euphorbia-lactea
