African Milk Tree
Euphorbia trigona
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Significant varieties: ‘Rubra’
Native Range: Central Africa
Native Habitat: Seasonally dry tropical or deciduous forests, disturbed soil
Cultural Use/Significance: A popular houseplant. Closely related to the candelabra cactus. Used as hedge when grown outdoors. Used as fish poison and a blade sharpener in India.
Cultural Requirements
Temperature: Hardy to just above freezing. Prefer a slight temperature dip at night. Day: 65-90°F, Night: 60-75° F
Irrigation: Allow soil to nearly dry between waterings.
Relative Humidity: <50%
Fertilizer: Feed, at half-strength, 3-4 times during the growing season. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizer.
Substrate: Well-draining potting mix. Additional perlite may be added to a traditional potting mix.
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Citations:
https://apps.cals.arizona.edu/arboretum/taxon.aspx?id=1117
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/131510/euphorbia-trigona/details
https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.21380
https://libguides.nybg.org/Africanmilktree