Sticks on Fire!

Euphorbia tirucalli, commonly known as Sticks on Fire or red pencil tree, has attained a height of 8 ft. 7 inches in a small patch of ground next to my house. It's one of the few areas on my property that gets a full day's sun and is not watered by in-ground sprinklers. San Marcos Nursery says, "'Sticks on Fire' lacks the chlorophyll of the parent plant and, as such, is much slower growing and probably will never obtain the same size. We guess the ultimate size of 'Sticks on Fire' as 4-8 feet." So, hmph. I dunno. This thing shows no signs of slowing down.

Inspired by the cactus and succulent garden in front of the Fullerton Police Station, I purchased this 6 inch pot of Sticks on Fire from Target and planted it with an aloe, some crassula, and an abused and discarded cereus I rescued from an alley on trash day. (Trash day is a mother lode of free plants for those willing to scrounge.) A few random nasturtium seeds found their way into the area and, voila! I had a lovely little mini garden in no time at all. But then the euphorbia kept growing.


Here is a pot of Sticks I started from cuttings last autumn. Euphorbia tirucalli Propagation is very simple:
Branch cuttings grow with ease, rooting quickly to form dense bushes which if left soon become naturalized and forms a small tree. Cuttings are obtained from older branches; left to dry for a day before planting.

Beware of the milky sap! If you get this on your hands, be sure to wash it off right away or it will burn. It's also really sticky. And poisonous. DO NOT GET IT IN YOUR EYES!!! When taking cuttings or pruning, wear protective glasses and gloves. The cuttings will bleed for a minute or so after the plant is cut. Set cuttings aside for a day to dry the fresh cuts before planting in a cactus mix. You can pretty much ignore them, watering when the soil is dry. I've used rooting hormone on them, but it really isn't needed. They are so easy to grow.

Here is a closeup of the tiny flower that Sticks on Fire produces at the tips of its branches. If you are getting on in years like me, without your readers on you barely notice them as a little yellowish fuzziness this time of year.


It's really easy to love this plant. It's easy to grow, easy to propagate, needs little water, very little fertilizer. You might need to prop it up with some stakes when it gets top heavy. But when it gets big and dense it takes on the look of a pine tree, like in the photo below.
If you want a cutting, come on by.