Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! Your plant must be an old one to be 9 feet tall! I'm sorry I'm no help when it comes to what to do about you predicament. My Euphorbia trigona is not even a foot tall at the moment! Good luck and I hope you figure it out!

~Erin~

kgall, sorry about the fall. Can you weigh down the pot with some sort of rocks? Or maybe time to re-pot to a larger pot. It sounds like it is top heavy to me and you may have to trim a little. The broken arms? Let them heal in a dry spot for about a week and pot up. How many did it take to lift this guy back up? Paula

Rope it to the wall so it stays balanced?

Not sure what you expect otherwise. It's quite big.
In nature (i assume) the plant would grow more naturally stronger being used to wind and rain, being able to spread out roots better.

Euphorbia trigona is a very fast grower. Mine has grown quickly to five feet in a few years. Because they grow so big, Frank Vincentz, who runs the website www.euphorbia.de, the top Euphorbia website, recommends not growing these indoors. I am not that extreme, however, and my suggestion might be to take cuttings, and if you want to keep the original plant, cut it back to a more manageable size. Best of luck.

Christopher

They seem to rebranch pretty readily. How far do you think you could cut it back without causing problems, kris?

Also it might be best to wait until its active growing season in your area.

Cutting it back would, of course, disfigure the plant, but if it is a choice of cutting back or discarding, I would cut it back if it were mine, maybe by about a third. And all the branches could be saved for cuttings. But I would wait until Spring or summer to do this.

One big caveat with Euphorbia, of course, is the latex which bleeds from the cut surfaces. It can seriously irritate your skin, and has caused temporary blindness. So wear gloves and goggles when pruning any Euphorbia, and wash off any latex which falls on you with soap and water immediately. I have been poisoned by a Euphorbia before, so I speak from experience.

Christopher

Thanks, all. I've tied it to hooks in nearby window frames. It looks kind of squashed up against the wall, and its branches look very crowded together. At some point I will probably off some of them and try to start new plants. If it won't straighten up naturally, I may trim the top too.

This is just something that happens with this plant. I had one for a while, but got tired of taking cuttings all the time. It was messy when you cut it back, and the milky sap isn't good for a lot of people. Be careful with it. It is impressive to see, but I think you have to rejuvenate it by cutting it back, or by just starting new cuttings.

Recently transplanted my donkey ear plants to pots for indoor winter care.They appear to be about to bloom. Will the plant die after blooming? Should I remove discolored bottom leaves from the plant. I have planted several of the small sprouts from the plant into pots and have them in a sunny window.

Can't you just turn it around so that it leans into the wall or corner instead of away from it?

You may want to also put the pot into a much larger pot and fill the space between the two with a lot of good-sized rocks.

Wow! 9 feet. I understand what you mean. Mine is about 3 feet tall and I have the same problem. I just put it in a larger pot. I put a huge rock at the bottom. Then I put another huge slab on the side within the soil to keep it balanced. The soil is so loose that it doesn't make the plant stable. I can't over water it or it will cause root rot. She is such a pretty succulent. Please let me know how things work out for you. Very curious.

HU....65

Just in case you are expecting answer from OP, I have not seen him/her and few more of the posters post for a long time. This thread was started and answered last time 8yrs ago......

First time seeing this. The plant needs to be rotated every week. Keep it growing straight you must keep rotated. Also prune the top section and plant up in base of plant to keep a fuller effect. I wonder how they made out. Mine is 5 feet. I haven't cut the top off yet but know soon or later must be done.

Hi everyone - Any suggestions on how I can straighten out my euphorbia? I didn’t rotate it very much so it’s growing crooked from about halfway (it‘s about 3 ft tall right now). Thanks!

Pictures would always help. If there is a fear of it falling over due to top heavy, place the existing pot in a much larger one and fill the difference in stones to add weight. So the original post is still the same. Now, could put in a tomato cage or stack it. My Euphorbia trigona is currently over 5 feet tall and still in same 6 inch pot.

Thanks for the quick response! I’ve added a photo to my post. In the summer I have it outside. Also just noticed a couple of very small branching growing at the very top.

So sad. My “spike” is 6 ft tall, but has root rot and I’m so sad about it. One of these photos is from 4 months ago, which shows him prior to the rot.
I’m not an expert so I’m quite afraid to amputate him, but I know I must do it soon. If anyone has advice on the amputation method please do let me know. I have purchased root hormone and will use blankets around the trunk to hold it up. Should I use a bread knife, a utility saw, or a sharp chefs knife? I will plant it in perlite soil. Thank you!

Also, could I cut away the brown parts in a zig zag fashion, or do I need to cut horizontally at the point where there is no brown? I would like to save as much of his length as possible!

Most importantly is the plant inside against the wall all the time? This Euphorbia Ammak is a large growing tree and needs bright sunlight to maintain itself. Soil looks to be dry but they should be in a gritter mix to increase drainage. Is the brown spots mussy or soft, and/or smells funny.

It is possible that it is still okay. Needs better living conditions. Turning brown or black is sometimes part of growing this white ammak.

If you must cut, Use a sharp knife and cut across where there is no rot and only good stem. Have a spray bottle of cold water to spray the white latex sap. Sap is toxic and a skin irritant and wash right after cutting it. If you get any in your eyes, wash out with tons of water then go to the hospital for treatment.

Let the cut heal and dry for a few days before planting in pure grit or perlite. It takes almost a year for new roots to form. No water can be taken up till it grows new roots.

Google 'cutting my euphorbia ammak' for videos and more instructions.

Hello! Thanks so much for the response! Spike is in a well lit room (that gets bright sun for 5 hours/day) but he in the corner against the wall, so he does not get the direct sunlight. Here are some photos. Do you think it could be causing the problem, and that putting him in the direct sunlight (and changing the soil) could solve this problem?

The brown area is not mushy and doesn’t smell funny. It still feels solid to the touch, but not quite as hard as the green healthy parts (I can leave a fingernail mark if I press in).

I’m torn on whether he needs an amputation, or if it will go away with proper RE-soiling. 4 months ago, the brown area was limited to the part that was under the soil line. Over the 4 months, the brown has crept up by about 12 inches, but very slowly. I am pretty certain it’s because I watered too often, and the soil wasn’t porous enough. And maybe he needs more sun than he is getting.

What do you think?

Here is the close up:

Could still be 'Corking' which all euphorbia trees go thru. It will never go away but only turn more thru the years. You may need to change to a different kind of plant. The room is very bright but I think not enough for this euphorbia to grow the way it should. This type of plant is very expensive and should be able to sell or trade for a different plant that would suit you needs. If it was growing right, it would grow over a foot a year and maybe more. Sooner or later it will out grow your house.

The one I showed above would be a better fit for your room. Or maybe a sansevieria.

I have one myself and will have to consider gifting it some day.

Since bringing it in for the winter, it grew another foot from what you see.

I have a 'White Ghost' Euphorbia lactea. It would be a nice choice in your condition.