Species · genus Euphorbia · Euphorbiaceae

Candelabra Tree

Euphorbia cooperi N.E.Br. ex A.Berger

Also known as: Bushveld Candelabra Euphorbia · Candelabra Naboom · Transvaal Candelabra Naboom

Growth habit

succulent tree

Native range

Botswana, Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Euphorbia cooperi — reference photo — (c) Wynand Uys, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0

Cultivars of E. cooperi

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under E. cooperi yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A Succulent Tree Euphorbia

Euphorbia cooperi is a succulent tree species in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It belongs to the genus Euphorbia, one of the largest and most varied plant genera in the world.

Source: Kew

Origins in Southern Africa

This species ranges naturally from Tanzania down to South Africa, with confirmed native populations in Botswana, Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique, the Northern Provinces, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It has also become established outside its home range, having been introduced into Tunisia. In the wild it grows as a succulent tree, primarily within desert and dry shrubland habitats. The species was first published by N.E. Brown, with the description credited to A. Berger, in 1907.

Source: Kew

A Tree-Form Succulent

What sets this euphorbia apart from many of its cactus-like relatives is its growth habit: it is a true succulent tree rather than a low clump or pad-forming form. The species includes three accepted infraspecific varieties, among them the typical variety cooperi, which is native from Zimbabwe to KwaZulu-Natal and likewise favors desert or dry shrubland settings.

Source: Kew

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 28 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

13–32 °C

Soil mix

Coarse, sharply draining succulent mix

Propagation

Stem cuttings, well callused before potting

Fertilizing

Occasional dilute feed in the growing season

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Seldom flowers as a houseplant

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Euphorbiaceae produce a caustic, irritant milky latex that can harm skin, eyes, and mucous membranes if ingested This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

(c) Wynand Uys, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Candelabra Tree yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.