Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Firestick Euphorbia
Firestick is a pencil-branched succulent whose stems glow gold, orange and red, brightest in winter and in full sun. It grows slowly into a thicket of upright stems about 3 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It needs little water and has no spines. Use it as a bold color accent in a bed, a raised planter or a big pot.
Best for: a winter color accent, large pots and raised planters, and low-water beds in full sun.
The stems turn their reddest in the cool months and fade toward yellow in summer heat. Full sun brings the strongest color, so give it the brightest spot you have.
It grows slowly to about 3 to 8 feet tall, so it stays in scale in a big pot or raised planter for years. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Once rooted it needs only a deep soak now and then in the hot, dry months. Pair it with agaves and other low-water plants that like the same dry soil.
The milky sap is toxic and can badly hurt eyes, so keep it off walkways and away from kids and pets. It is damaged not far below 30°F, and shade turns the stems green.
- Plant to plant8 ft apart
Water deeply only when the soil is dry. Water mostly in the warm months, and keep it drier in fall and winter.
The milky sap irritates skin and can badly hurt eyes. Wear gloves and eye protection when you handle or cut it, and keep it away from your face.
Give it full sun for the best red and orange color. Stems fade toward yellow and green in summer heat and in shade.
It is frost tender and not reliably hardy much below 30°F. Drape frost cloth or a sheet to the ground on frost nights, not plastic.
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.
Why is my firestick turning green?
It usually needs more strong sun, and summer heat also fades the color. Move it or plant it in full sun, and the stems turn redder again in the cool months.
Is the sap dangerous?
Yes. The milky sap is toxic, irritates skin and can cause a serious eye injury. Wear gloves and eye protection when you handle it, and get medical care right away if sap gets in an eye.
How big does it get in Arizona?
It usually grows about 3 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It grows slowly, much slower than the plain green pencil tree.
How often should I water it?
Water deeply during the hot, dry season, only when the soil has dried out. Keep it much drier in fall and winter, since soggy soil can rot the roots.
Is it frost hardy?
No. It is not reliably hardy much below 30°F. Cover in-ground plants with frost cloth on freezing nights and move pots under cover.
When is the color brightest?
The color is brightest in the cool winter months and in full sun. It fades toward yellow and green in summer heat.
Does it need full sun in Phoenix?
Full sun gives the best color. It grows in part sun too, but the stems stay greener.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, it does well in pots and raised planters. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Is firestick toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes. Chewing it irritates the mouth and stomach and can cause vomiting. Plant it where pets cannot chew or break the stems.
Can firestick bother allergies?
It can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies, even though the small yellow flowers are easy to miss.
Is firestick messy?
No. It drops very little litter, so it stays tidy in a pot or a bed next to a patio.
Firestick Euphorbia for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Firestick brings gold, orange and red color to Valley yards and pots on little water. Below are the questions people ask most, including color, size, water, frost and how to handle the sap safely.
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.
Why firestick turns green
Too little direct sun keeps it green, and summer heat fades the color too. Full sun and the cool months bring back the reds and oranges.
Firestick sap safety
The milky sap is toxic and irritates skin and eyes. Handle it with gloves and eye protection, and keep it away from paths.
Firestick frost protection
It is not reliably hardy much below 30°F. Cover in-ground plants and move pots under cover on freezing nights.
Watering firestick in Phoenix
Water deeply during the hot, dry season when the soil is dry, and keep it drier in fall and winter.
How big does firestick get?
It usually grows about 3 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, slowly.
Best color for firestick
The stems are reddest in winter and in full sun, and they fade toward yellow in summer.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.