Species · genus Euphorbia · Euphorbiaceae

Mottled Spurge

Euphorbia lactea Haw.

Also known as: Candelabra Spurge · Candelabra-cactus · Devil's Walking Stick · Dragon-bones · False Cactus

Growth habit

succulent shrub or tree

Native range

Sri Lanka

Reference · E. lactea

Cultivars of E. lactea

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

No named cultivars catalogued under E. lactea 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 shrub from Sri Lanka, this Euphorbia stores water in its upright stems and is built to endure long dry spells. Plant it in gritty, fast-draining mix and water deeply only when the soil has dried out completely, roughly every two to four weeks; it rots far more readily than it goes thirsty. It tolerates direct sun once acclimated but is safest in a bright spot with strong indirect light.

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

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 28 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

13–29 °C

Soil mix

Gritty, fast-draining cactus and succulent mix

Propagation

Stem or crest cuttings, callused before potting

Fertilizing

Light succulent feed once or twice during the growing season

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Euphorbiaceae exude a milky latex that is a skin and eye irritant and toxic 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.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

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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 Mottled Spurge yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.