Candelabra Tree Is One Cool Cactus Look-Alike
Here’s everything you need to know about growing this dramatic, easy-care plant indoors
Those dramatic 6-foot-tall cactuses you’ve been seeing in every interior design photo recently? They’re candelabra trees (Euphorbia ingens), and they’re not actually cactuses at all. Native to Southern Africa, these giant euphorbia have caught the attention of stylists and plant lovers looking for a cactus look-alike that can survive indoors and pack some real punch.
You can grow candelabra tree outdoors in a mild climate, but — consider yourself warned — they can reach up to 40 feet tall with a 25-foot-wide crown if they’re happy. They stay smaller when grown in containers as houseplants, ranging from 2-foot-tall potted accent plants to large-scale 6-foot-plus specimens, depending on how old the plants are.
Caution: Euphorbias have a milky sap that is irritating to the skin and eyes and is toxic if ingested. Avoid growing near pets or young children.
You can grow candelabra tree outdoors in a mild climate, but — consider yourself warned — they can reach up to 40 feet tall with a 25-foot-wide crown if they’re happy. They stay smaller when grown in containers as houseplants, ranging from 2-foot-tall potted accent plants to large-scale 6-foot-plus specimens, depending on how old the plants are.
Caution: Euphorbias have a milky sap that is irritating to the skin and eyes and is toxic if ingested. Avoid growing near pets or young children.
Where to put it. Candelabra tree thrives in spots where it can receive as much bright light as possible, such as near a south- or west-facing window. Although the thick green skin of the plant looks tough, it can burn if exposed to prolonged high-intensity direct sunlight. Avoid placing a plant right up against a window, where the glass can intensify exposure.
5 Tips to Keep Your Indoor Succulents Thriving
5 Tips to Keep Your Indoor Succulents Thriving
Outdoors, grow candelabra tree in full sun with plenty of room. Expect plants to grow into full-size trees up to 40 feet tall with 25-foot-wide multibranched canopies in 10 or more years. Size can also be kept more manageable with pruning; just wear gloves to prevent possible skin irritation when handling the milky sap of cut stems.
How to use it. Candelabra trees make the biggest impact standing solo, where their architectural form can be appreciated from a distance. Choose a container that is proportional to the plant’s size and is heavy enough to anchor tall specimens as they begin to form more and more branches.
Display smaller potted candelabra trees on coffee tables, sideboards or alongside the couch. You can mix smaller specimens side by side with potted cactuses, succulents or other Euphorbia, like Euphorbia tirucalli, to create a low-water vignette.
Display smaller potted candelabra trees on coffee tables, sideboards or alongside the couch. You can mix smaller specimens side by side with potted cactuses, succulents or other Euphorbia, like Euphorbia tirucalli, to create a low-water vignette.
Why we love it. There’s a reason that one of the common names for Euphorbia ingens is “cowboy cactus” — albeit it’s a bit ironic, given that they’re not actually a cactus. They just look so much like a quintessential western-style cactus. Candelabra trees are like the saguaro of houseplants: here to look iconic and totally steal the show.
Plus, we love how easy they are to care for as houseplants. Happier if you forget watering for a few weeks than if you water too diligently, candelabra trees are forgiving by nature and thrive in the same temperatures we typically keep our homes.
Plus, we love how easy they are to care for as houseplants. Happier if you forget watering for a few weeks than if you water too diligently, candelabra trees are forgiving by nature and thrive in the same temperatures we typically keep our homes.
Care tips. Sitting in wet soil can be the death of candelabra tree — particularly in winter when temperatures are cool and plants are dormant. To set them up to thrive, start with a container that has a drainage hole and fill with quick-draining cactus and succulent mix. Water about once a week, or a little less, from spring to fall, waiting until soil is almost completely dry between waterings. In winter, reduce water even more.
For candelabra trees grown outside, water lightly but consistently when plants are young and very little once plants mature. Provide protection from frost in cool-winter climates if a freeze is predicted. Move potted outdoor plants into a glass house, garage or inside the house to shelter overnight. Wrap plants that are planted in the ground with frost blankets, removing them in the morning to avoid a damp, dew-soaked cloth sitting for too long on the plants.
For candelabra trees grown outside, water lightly but consistently when plants are young and very little once plants mature. Provide protection from frost in cool-winter climates if a freeze is predicted. Move potted outdoor plants into a glass house, garage or inside the house to shelter overnight. Wrap plants that are planted in the ground with frost blankets, removing them in the morning to avoid a damp, dew-soaked cloth sitting for too long on the plants.
How to propagate. You can propagate candelabra tree through cuttings, but you need to use gloves and be careful of exposure to the milky sap, which can cause skin irritation. Here’s what to do:
Learn more about propagating succulents
- Put on elbow-length gloves that form a moisture barrier to prevent sap from getting on your skin. (The same gloves you use for cleaning can work just fine.)
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the top 6- to 8-inch portions, or longer, of the Euphorbia stems.
- Keep the stems in a dry place for a little over a week until the cut end forms a callus.
- Next, pot up the cuttings in containers filled with fresh cactus and succulent mix, sticking the callused end of the stem a few inches deep in the soil.
- Move pots to a spot with bright, indirect light and water lightly. Soon roots will begin to form.
Learn more about propagating succulents
Toxicity. As with other plants in the Euphorbia genus, the cut stems of candelabra tree secrete a milky, slightly sticky fluid containing latex. This fluid can cause skin irritation. Some sources say it can even cause blindness. Use gloves when handling, particularly if you’re cutting a stem for propagation, and avoid touching your eyes or mouth after coming in contact with the sap of the plant.
Ingesting any part of the plant can cause irritation to an animal’s mouth and stomach, and sometimes will induce vomiting. Skip growing candelabra trees if you have young children or pets that are attracted to houseplants and may be tempted to give them a bite.
Ingesting any part of the plant can cause irritation to an animal’s mouth and stomach, and sometimes will induce vomiting. Skip growing candelabra trees if you have young children or pets that are attracted to houseplants and may be tempted to give them a bite.
Houzz readers: Have you grown candelabra tree before or seen them in gardens? Tell us in the Comments.
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Common names: Candelabra tree, cowboy cactus
Temperature requirement: Grows anywhere as a houseplant; outside, it grows best in mild climates. Requires a minimum temperature between 25 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 3.9 to 7.2 degrees Celsius
Water requirement: Low to moderate (water only when dry); water only occasionally in winter; requires quick-draining soil
Light requirement: Bright sunlight
Mature size: Grown outdoors, plants can reach up to 40 feet tall and 25 wide; they generally stay under 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide when grown in containers as houseplants
Seasonal interest: Evergreen; grown outdoors, mature plants form yellow flowers at the branch tips, followed by dark red fruit
Note: African milk tree (Euphorbia trigona) looks similar to candelabra tree but forms many funky-looking oblong leaves along the margins of the plant. Candelabra tree does not. The general care guidelines that follow apply to both species.