Say it: you-FOR-bee-uh. All four below are succulent spurges from Africa, not cacti, and all bleed a white latex that irritates skin and eyes. Handle cuttings with gloves.
Euphorbia flanaganii – Medusa's head
From the Eastern Cape of South Africa. A central caudex sends out dozens of snaky green arms, forming a flat starburst up to a foot across, with tiny yellow flowers at the arm tips. Easy and moderate-paced. Bright light, water when dry, keep above 50°F. Arms root as cuttings.
Euphorbia stellata – star spurge
Also from the Eastern Cape. A flattened caudex topped by a few winged, star-shaped stems with dark banding. Slow and prized by caudex collectors; grown with the caudex raised above the soil. Bright light, sparing water, above 50°F. From seed it germinates in 1–3 weeks and shows the caudex within a year.
Euphorbia susannae – Suzanne's spurge
From the Little Karoo. Clusters of small ribbed heads covered in soft, harmless teeth, like green sea urchins. Slow and compact; bright light, water when dry, keep above 45°F.
Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire' – firestick
A cultivar of the pencil tree of eastern and southern Africa. Pencil-thin stems glow yellow, orange and red in cool weather and full sun, fading greener in summer. Fast and tough; shrubs reach 6 feet or more in the ground. Full sun, little water, protect below about 30°F. Cuttings root easily after a few days of drying. Its sap is the most irritating of the group.
E. flanaganii plant · E. stellata seeds · E. susannae plant · Firestick cuttings · All Euphorbia · Euphorbia obesa guide