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Cacti & Succulents

What is an 8 foot tall pencil cactus worth?

16 years ago

I am thinking of selling it but don't know what I should ask for it? It was damaged in the unusually hard freeze we had in February but it is now sprouting many new branches. It is in the ground so would have to be dug up. It took three years to grow this big. Also, how do you propagate these plants. I cut a branch off and stuck it in some dirt and it appeared to be alive for about six months. But after the freeze it looked dead so I pulled it up and I didn't see any roots.

Comments (9)

shrubs_n_bulbs
16 years ago
Its worth whatever someone will pay for it ;)

Don't know what a pencil cactus is, is that a Euphorbia? I've seen big potted specimens go for hundreds of pounds, in immaculate condition of course. On the other hand, I wouldn't give you more than a tenner for something I can grow myself in three years.
californian
Original Author
16 years ago
Euphorbia Tirucalli, also known as pencil bush, pencil tree, pencil cactus, and the red variety sticks on fire. What do you think three years of watering a plant and weeding around it is worth? I saw potted pencil bushs smaller than mine for $150 at a nursury. Well I put it up for sale for $35 because I don't like the skin rashs I get when I weed around it or prune it and a branch accidently snaps off while I am working on it and drips sap on me.
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Cactus McHarris, I haven't been here for some time, but it's good to know you are still around, if far removed geographically. Are you able to grow any succulents outdoors where you are? Someone in this thread mentioned the possibility that E. tirucalli may not be so irritating to everyone, but that an allergy may be involved. Do you know people who have had experiences with the plant? I remember hearing that someone in SDCSS had a very unpleasant one or two week experience with the sap, but their sight was not affected in the long run. Opinions seemed to vary as to which euphorbias might be the most dangerous, and that would make sense if allergies are in play. I once had a big E. tirucalli, but had a minor scare with the sap irritating my eyes, even though I wore gloves to handle it and washed my hands. Fortunately, just flushing the eye for several minutes got rid of the unpleasant sensation. Then I got rid of the plant. The sap from other euphorbias I have grown never bothered me at all. I can't pinpoint the neighborhoods exactly, but there seem to be a great many yards with E. tirucalli in some areas to the east of San Diego, like Lemon Grove or Spring Valley. It does look beautiful. I have seen small ones planted along the strip beside a sidewalk and even one largeish one right on a street corner. Now that we have a door to our back garden so no innocent person could wander in and be harmed by E.t. sap, I am thinking of growing it again--but not in the front succulent garden, where anyone could enter through the gate and might be tempted to break off a piece unprotected. Our next-door neighbor has several bushes of it growing on a high level behind their house and will give me some cuttings. ---Biwako
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My seven foot tall pencil bush was severely damaged when it dropped to 26 degrees one night in February. Many of the branches died, dried up, and fell off. But now in May its sprouting new branches and is now about 8 feet high. BTW, how much is an 8 foot tall pencil bush or pencil tree or pencil cactus or whatever it is called worth? It took about three years to grow this high.
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Pencil Cactus (Euphorbia Tirucalli) - Help with repotting
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First, you need to know that this plant (and all other Euphorbias) has a very toxic sap that is a powerful skin and eye irritant. If it gets in your eye (e.g. brushing face with back of hand), it can cause temporary blindness. Be careful never to get sap in your eyes, or leave it on your skin. E. tirucalli has a particularly bad reputation for toxic sap, so be careful! Cut at branch nodes. Staunch the flow of sap with lukewarm water. Repot into an 8-inch container using Cactus and Succulent soil (or regular potting soil) mixed 1:1 with perlite, gravel, or pumice. The idea is to make a free-draining mix low in organics, but with more than 50% inorganic particles in the 1/8 to 3/8-inch range. This plant wants as much sun as you can give it. Growth will be much slower indoors. Allow the pot to completely dry before watering. Fertilize 3-4 times a year with any balanced fertilizer at 1/4 the normal strength. Happy growing!
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I purchased one of these Euphorbs in late December from a nursery where it was growing in crowded conditions with low to medium light. I set it up at home in my basement with a 10,000 lux light panel and it has put on about a foot of growth since then. Our basement is usually cool (50-60F) and the plant has had no natural light source. I water lightly about once a week (or whenever the top of the soil feels dry to the touch). I recently moved it to an upstairs room with northern light and the light panel along with it, so it will be interesting to see if there is any change in growth habit. As to the plant being poisonous, as with anything, reasonable caution is generally best - keep it out of reach of small children and pets. No need to be alarmist. Keeping an antihistamine such as liquid Benadryl in your medicine cabinet is usually a good idea, in any event.
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dufflebag2002
16 years ago
They are toxic, that is the reason you are getting skin rashes, wash off thoroughly with milk, I was going to say get and take what ever is offered for the plant. Norma
greentfinger
15 years ago
I have no idea of what it's worth but I cut down an over 20 foot one last year. Had I known there was a market, my fortune would have been made. {{gwi:556939}}
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
15 years ago
I had one about 6' tall and cut it down too.I am on the record as saying they are a plant that looks great in a pot but,when planted in the ground becomes a big green thing.Not gracefull as a Palo Verde or as open. Just a big dense,no form,... thing.
Now,that cutting rooted,is in a pot..and looks exotic again. Open. "Firesticks" is a different animal. The bigger the better.Nobody is giving away big Firesticks shrubs or cutting them down.Heck,not even a single posted complaint ever of their latex-noticed?
amccour
15 years ago
Firesticks E. Tirucalli's have less bothersome latex, you mean, or nobody comes in contact with it because they don't tend to prune them?
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
15 years ago
Not usually any need to prune Firesticks and once they start doing well,they are great show plants unlike the plain green form. Firesticks will bleed if pruned but when you think about it, the lower growth means not much chance any would drip on you unlike the tree sized natural form.

You know,why hasn't any Soucal, Tex,or Florida C&S people posted a photo of a large old "first generation" Firesticks?..mine hit 30" and almost as wide until this years chilly(yet,no frost), wet,Dec-Jan, caused rot- off of branches like never before. Even the freeze of 07 hadnt any real effect. Keep them winter dry, Californian's...
Louella Phillips
3 years ago
I had one over 30 ft. tall. On two different occasions someone tried to steal it. I went outside on one occasion and caught someone with a tow chain around the bottom of it trying to pull it up with their car. I was told that in Florida you can get up to $5000.00 per 15 feet. ???
Sarah Wirtz
2 years ago

I have tons of monsters from 3-12 ft. That's the 10ft in a trash can.

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