Pencil Cactus Plant - How To Grow Pencil Cactus

Keep It Alive

Outdoors, grow pencil cactus in full sun. ...
Provide immaculate drainage for pencil cactus. ...
Water every two weeks and less in the winter, and as with most succulents, it's better to let pencil cacti dry out than to drown it or risk rotted roots.

How do you grow a pencil cactus?

Pencil cactus is easy to grow. It will need water approximately every two to three weeks in summer but no water in winter. Allow the plant to dry out between irrigations. Care must be taken when caring for a pencil cactus to avoid the sap.

Does pencil cactus need full sun?

As these plants evolved in dry climates with lots of sun, keep your Pencil Cactus in a bright location for maximum growth. This plant will not tolerate low light conditions. Direct sun, or plenty of bright ambient light from a western, eastern, or southern facing window is ideal for this plant to thrive.

Can pencil cactus live outside?

In the great outdoors, it's hardy to 25 degrees F. And it can tolerate our home temperatures & lack of humidity just fine. As you can see, the pot my Pencil Cactus is growing in is quite large.

How poisonous is a pencil cactus?

The pencil cactus will cause immediate pain when bitten into which serves as a deterrent for large ingestions of the plant. ... The pencil cactus, known as Euphorbia tirucalli, is toxic to humans and dogs worldwide as it contains a milky substance capable of causing serious gastrointestinal, ocular, and dermal injury.

Will a pencil cactus root in water?

A pencil cactus can be readily propagated from cuttings. ... Take a cutting of a green branch around 6 inches long, and dip it in fresh water to stop the flow of sap. Then, allow the cutting to dry for about a week and form a callous over the cut end before potting it in moist succulent or cactus potting mix.

Why is my pencil cactus turning red?

Some succulent plants naturally get reddish tips on their leaves when exposed to full sun or extreme heat. The plant is coping with the extreme heat by producing a red pigment (carotenoids) on its foliage to protect itself from sunburn.

Is pencil cactus poisonous to dogs?

The pencil cactus, or Euphorbia tirucalli, is toxic to humans, dogs, and cats worldwide and can cause serious intestinal and skin injury, according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Can you trim a pencil cactus?

Conclusion: Pencil Cactus grow fast and are forgiving when it comes to pruning. You can prune them lightly or heavier as I did. Just mind the sticky sap and give your pruners a good cleaning before and after pruning. They're easy to grow and are a fun plant to have in your collection!

Why is my pencil cactus turning yellow?

My pencil plant has a couple of yellow stems. What is the problem? Yellowing stems can mean several things; age, injury, temperature and too much/little moisture. ... And, this plant is a succulent, don't keep it wet.

Do pencil cactus like to be root bound?

It should be about 1 to 3 inches wider than the circumference of the root ball. The pencil cactus thrives when it is slightly pot bound, according to Master Gardener Linda MacPhee-Cobb of Herself's Houseplants.

How do you kill pencil cactus?

You can achieve 76 to 100 percent rootkill of pricklypear and other cacti by spraying with the herbicide Surmount™. The ingredient in this product that kills pricklypear and other cacti is picloram.

Which Euphorbia plant causes cancer?

The sticky sap of the African milkbush may be an important cause of Burkitt's lymphoma - the most common childhood cancer in much of Africa. The milkbush (Euphorbia tirucalli) is a tropical plant that grows in many parts of Africa and in the Amazon rainforest of South America.

Can a cactus kill you?

Cactus spines do not contain any poison that can kill you upon perforating your skin. However, the thorns are painful and can cause infections that might turn septic, if you don't take care of the problem the right way. It's also possible for spines to leave pustules that could stay on your skin for months.

Is cactus plant lucky?

Good Feng Shui and decorating with cacti. Cactus plants keep moisture, Shui, and water helps Feng Shui a home for wealth. ... It is believed, good Feng Shui and decorating with the cactus plants can redirect the negative energy, balance the house energy flow, and create a better environment that attracts wealth.

Is the Firestick plant poisonous?

Otherwise known as pencil cactus, firestick pencil cactus, sticks on fire, or milk bush, this Euphorbia succulent is classified by Pet Poison Hotline as mild to moderately toxic to cats, dogs, and even humans.

Why is my jade turning red?

Jade plant foliage can change to red with really hot or cold temperature changes like those during summer and winter. Reducing the frequency of water applications causes the Jade plant to lose some of its deep green coloring and changing colors include red.

Why is my plant turning red?

The red coloration is due to the production of leaf pigments called anthocyanins, which are also found in red, blue, and purple flowers and fruits. But leaves can also turn red for reasons unrelated to autumn color development (Figure 1).

How can you tell if a Christmas cactus is overwatered?

In case you didn't remember to do this, one of the first overwatering symptoms on Christmas cactus will be limp leaves, which will start to drop off. Then the stems and branches will soften and get mushy. Severe cases will manifest with a foul odor and the stem will rot completely off.

What animals eat succulents?

It may not be part of their natural diet, but these animals love your water-filled succulent leaves. So, what's eating your beloved succulents? The list varies depending on where you live, but the most common animals that succulent growers complain of are squirrels, possums, cats, and birds.

Is pencil plant a succulent?

Native to arid South Africa and India, pencil cactus is actually a euphorbia, thus making it a succulent and not a true cactus despite the name. There are thousands of euphorbias, and like all of them, the pencil cactus has milky white latex sap that is released when the plant is injured.

Is aloe vera bad for dogs?

Although considered a medicinal plant for humans, aloe vera's level of toxicity is mild to moderate for cats and dogs. Vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, depression, anorexia, tremors, change in urine colour.