Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Pencil Euphorbia
Pencil euphorbia fills a yard or pot with a bright green mass of pencil-thin stems. In the Valley it can grow about 8 to 10 feet tall, and it handles heat and dry spells. It grows fast with warm-season water. Use it as a green accent, a background planting, or in a raised planter or large pot.
Best for: A green accent or focal point, a tall background planting, or a raised planter or large pot.
Its mass of bright green, pencil-thin stems makes a specimen or focal point. Give it room to grow 8 to 10 feet tall.
It works as a background planting at the back of a bed. Its height and green stems fill in behind lower plants.
It grows well in raised planters and large pots, outdoors or on a covered patio. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
It is frost tender, to about 28°F, so cover it on the coldest nights. Soggy soil can rot the roots. The milky sap irritates skin and can badly injure eyes.
- Plant to plant8 ft apart
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 big does pencil euphorbia get?
In the Valley it can reach about 8 to 10 feet tall or more and about 6 to 10 feet wide. In its native Africa it can grow into a tree 20 to 30 feet tall.
How fast does pencil euphorbia grow?
It grows fast when it gets water in the hot, dry months. Water it through summer if you want it to fill in quickly.
Is pencil cactus a real cactus?
No. It is a euphorbia, a succulent shrub that looks like a cactus. Its tiny leaves drop early, so you mostly see green stems. Broken stems bleed milky sap.
Does pencil euphorbia have spines?
No. It has no spines or thorns. The thing to handle with care is the milky sap.
What is the difference between pencil euphorbia and firestick?
Firestick is a colored variety of this same plant. Its stems turn red, orange and yellow, and it stays smaller and grows slower. Pencil euphorbia stays green and grows larger and faster.
Is the sap dangerous?
Yes. The milky sap irritates and can blister skin, and it is toxic if eaten. In the eyes it can cause a severe injury that needs a doctor. Wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection.
Is pencil cactus toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes. It is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Chewing it irritates the mouth and stomach and can cause vomiting.
How cold can pencil euphorbia take?
It does not handle hard frost. It takes about 28°F for short spells, and some plants show damage in the low 30s. Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet on cold nights, not plastic.
How often should I water pencil euphorbia?
Let the soil dry between waterings. It handles drought, but water in the hot, dry months keeps it growing. Soggy soil can rot the roots.
Can I prune pencil euphorbia?
Yes. You can cut it back to control its height. Sap flows from every cut, so wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection, and keep it away from your face.
Can pencil euphorbia grow in a pot?
Yes. It grows well in raised planters and large pots. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Can pencil euphorbia bother allergies?
Yes, it can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies.
Pencil Euphorbia for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Pencil euphorbia, also called pencil tree or pencil cactus, is a succulent shrub from Africa with bright green, pencil-thin stems. It is the all-green form of the same plant sold as firestick. 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.
Pencil euphorbia in Phoenix yards
Pencil euphorbia is a succulent shrub from Africa with bright green, pencil-thin stems. Valley homeowners use it as a green accent, a background planting, and in raised planters and big pots.
How big does a pencil cactus get in Arizona?
In the Valley it can reach about 8 to 10 feet tall or more and about 6 to 10 feet wide. It grows fast with water in the hot months.
Pencil euphorbia vs firestick
Firestick is a colored variety of the same plant. Its stems turn red, orange and yellow, and it stays smaller and grows slower. Pencil euphorbia stays green and grows larger and faster.
Is pencil cactus a real cactus?
No. It is a euphorbia with no spines. Its tiny leaves drop early, so the green stems carry the look. A broken stem bleeds milky sap, which true cactus do not.
How cold can pencil cactus get in Arizona?
It is frost tender, to about 28°F for short spells. On the coldest nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet draped to the ground. Take the cover off in the morning.
Watering pencil euphorbia in the Valley
Let the soil dry between waterings. It handles drought, but water in the hot, dry months keeps it growing. Soggy soil can rot the roots.
Growing pencil euphorbia in a pot
It grows well in raised planters and large pots. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole. You can cut it back to control its height.
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.