Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Desert Candle
Desert candle gives a yard or a big pot a tall, upright shape on very little water. Deep-ribbed green stems rise like candles and branch into a candelabra with age. Outdoors it can reach about 6 to 10 feet tall. Use it as a focal point in a succulent bed or as the centerpiece of a large container.
Best for: A focal point in a succulent or gravel bed, the tall centerpiece of a large pot, or a low-water bed.
Its upright, deep-ribbed stems make a focal point in a succulent or gravel bed. Outdoors it can reach about 6 to 10 feet tall.
It grows well in a large pot, where it stays smaller than in the ground. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
It handles long dry spells well. Water deeply, then let the soil dry out completely before the next watering.
It is frost tender, to about 28 to 30°F, and soggy soil can rot the roots. Paired spines line the ribs, and the milky sap irritates skin and eyes.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
First two weeks. In the Valley, water every 1 to 2 days in summer and every 3 to 4 days in the cooler months. Always water deeply, slow and long enough that moisture soaks down to the root zone, not just the surface.
After that, taper gradually. Stretch slowly to about every 7 days in summer, or every 10 to 14 days in the cooler months, by week 8. Higher and cooler areas water less often. See how to water new plants for your area and plant type.
Read the soil, not a schedule. Push a long screwdriver into the soil about an hour after watering. It slides easily through wet soil and stops at dry soil. Once a plant is rooted, water again when it will not go in more than 3 to 4 inches.
Fertilizer. Most desert-adapted plants establish without heavy feeding. Too much fertilizer pushes soft, leggy growth.
How tall does desert candle get?
Outdoors it can reach about 6 to 10 feet tall. In its native range it can grow into a tree about 30 feet tall. In a pot it stays smaller.
How fast does desert candle grow?
It grows at a moderate to fairly fast pace and can become a large landscape plant in about 3 to 5 years. Plant it where it has room to grow up.
Is desert candle a cactus?
No. It is a euphorbia, a succulent that looks like a cactus. Break a stem and it bleeds milky white sap, which cactus do not.
Is Euphorbia acrurensis the same as Euphorbia abyssinica?
Euphorbia acrurensis is treated as another name for Euphorbia abyssinica. Both go by the name desert candle.
Does desert candle have spines?
Yes. Short, stout spines grow in pairs along the edges of the ribs. They are often reddish or brown at the tips.
Is the sap dangerous?
Yes. The milky sap irritates skin and is toxic if eaten. In the eyes it can cause a serious injury, even blindness. Wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection.
Is desert candle toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes. The sap is toxic if eaten and irritates the mouth and stomach. Keep pets from chewing or breaking the stems.
How cold can desert candle take?
It is frost tender and takes only light frost, about 28 to 30°F. On the coldest nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet, not plastic.
Does desert candle need full sun?
It grows in full sun to part shade, and outdoors it handles full sun. Pick a bright spot for it in the yard or on the patio.
How often should I water desert candle?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out completely before watering again. Give it less in the cool months. Soggy soil can rot the roots.
Does desert candle flower?
Yes, but the flowers are small. Tiny flowers sit in yellow, petal-like bracts, so grow it for its shape and not for bloom.
Can desert candle grow in a pot?
Yes. It grows well in a large pot, where it stays smaller than in the ground. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Desert Candle for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Desert candle is a tall, cactus-like euphorbia from the Horn of Africa, sold as Euphorbia acrurensis. Its deep-ribbed green stems grow upright like candles and branch with age. Below is what to expect on size, sun, water, cold and pots in a Valley yard.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Desert candle in Phoenix yards
Desert candle is a tall, cactus-like euphorbia from the Horn of Africa. Its deep-ribbed green stems grow upright like candles. Valley homeowners use it as a focal point in succulent beds and in large pots.
How tall does desert candle get?
Outdoors it can reach about 6 to 10 feet tall. It grows moderately fast and can become a large landscape plant in about 3 to 5 years. In a pot it stays smaller.
Is desert candle a cactus?
No. It is a euphorbia that looks like a cactus. Short spines grow in pairs along its ribs, and a broken stem bleeds milky white sap. True cactus do not have milky sap.
Euphorbia acrurensis or Euphorbia abyssinica?
Euphorbia acrurensis is treated as another name for Euphorbia abyssinica. Both are called desert candle. The plant is native to Ethiopia, Sudan and nearby parts of the Horn of Africa.
How cold can desert candle get in Arizona?
It is frost tender, to about 28 to 30°F. On the coldest nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet draped to the ground. Take the cover off in the morning.
Watering desert candle in the Valley
It handles long dry spells. Water deeply, then let the soil dry out completely. Give it less in the cool months, since soggy soil can rot the roots.
Growing desert candle in a pot
It grows well in a large pot, where it stays smaller than in the ground. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
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