Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Pickle Plant
Pickle Plant is the African milk barrel, a silvery gray-green euphorbia with deep ribs that looks like a barrel cactus. It clumps slowly from the base into a tight group of upright columns about 2 to 3 feet tall. People use it as a textural accent in rock gardens, desert beds and patio pots. It needs little water most of the year once it is rooted.
Best for: rock gardens, desert beds, patio pots and small-scale accents where you want a cactus look in a slow, tidy clump.
Its ribbed, spiny columns clump from the base and slowly fill a spot 2 to 3 feet wide. Its silvery gray-green color adds texture to a rock garden or desert bed with soil that drains well.
It grows slowly, so it stays in scale in a container for a long time. Use a fast-draining cactus mix and a pot with a drain hole, and let the mix dry between waterings.
It looks like a ribbed barrel cactus and works as a textural accent in small-scale yard spots and desert landscapes.
Soggy soil and standing water rot the roots, and hard freezes below about 25°F can damage it. The spines and milky sap make it a poor fit right beside paths and play areas.
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out before the next watering. In the ground it needs little water most of the year, with extra water in the hottest months. Keep it much drier in winter, since soggy soil rots the roots.
It takes full sun to light shade. In the Valley it does best in mostly full sun without hot late afternoon west sun in summer.
Mature plants take about 25°F for short periods when the soil is dry. On hard freeze nights, drape frost cloth to the ground and take it off in the morning.
Every cut or broken stem bleeds milky sap that irritates skin and eyes. Wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection when you plant or trim it. Keep the sap away from your face, eyes and mouth.
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.
Is Pickle Plant a cactus?
No. It is a euphorbia, a succulent related to poinsettias, even though it looks like a ribbed barrel cactus. A broken stem bleeds milky sap, which cacti do not.
What plant is Pickle Plant?
It is Euphorbia horrida, best known as the African milk barrel. It comes from South Africa and is sometimes listed as a form of Euphorbia polygona.
How big does it get?
It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and slowly clumps 2 to 3 feet wide. Each column is about 4 inches thick.
How fast does it grow?
It grows very slowly, adding new columns at the base over the years, so the size you buy holds its shape for a long time.
Does it need full sun in the Valley?
It takes full sun to light shade. Mostly full sun without hot late afternoon west sun in summer keeps it looking its best.
How often should I water it?
In the ground it needs little water most of the year, with deep watering in the hottest months when the soil is dry. Keep it much drier in winter.
How cold can it take?
Mature plants take about 25°F for short periods when the soil is dry. Cover it with frost cloth on hard freeze nights.
Can the sap hurt you?
Yes. The milky sap from a cut or broken stem irritates skin and is toxic if eaten. Sap in the eyes can cause a serious eye injury, so wear gloves and eye protection when you handle it.
Is it toxic to pets?
Yes. Euphorbias are toxic to dogs and cats if chewed, and the sap irritates the mouth and stomach and can cause vomiting. Plant it where pets cannot chew it.
Does it flower?
It carries tiny green and yellow flowers at the stem tips in summer. They are small and easy to miss.
What kills a Pickle Plant?
It often dies from too much water. It can rot in soggy soil or standing water, so plant it in soil that drains fast.
Pickle Plant for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Pickle Plant is Euphorbia horrida, the African milk barrel from South Africa. It looks like a ribbed barrel cactus but is a slow, clumping euphorbia. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard: size, spacing, sun, water, cold and handling.
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.
What is a Pickle Plant euphorbia?
It is Euphorbia horrida, the African milk barrel. It is a ribbed, spiny euphorbia from South Africa that clumps from the base into upright columns.
Is African milk barrel a cactus?
No. It is a euphorbia that looks like a barrel cactus. Its stems bleed milky sap when broken, and it is related to poinsettias.
How big does Euphorbia horrida get?
Plan for about 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide as a mature clump. It grows slowly, so it takes years to reach that size.
How often do you water Pickle Plant in Phoenix?
In the ground it needs little water most of the year. Water deeply in the hottest months when the soil is dry, and keep it dry in winter.
Can Euphorbia horrida take Phoenix sun?
Yes, it takes mostly full sun in the Valley. It looks best without hot late afternoon west sun in the middle of summer.
How cold hardy is African milk barrel?
Mature plants take about 25°F for short periods when the soil is dry. Cover it with frost cloth on hard freeze nights.
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.