Cultivar · genus Euphorbia
Cristata
Euphorbia lactea · ‘Cristata’
Also labeled: Coral Cactus · Mermaid Tail Coral Cactus · Crested Elkhorn · Frankenstein Plant · Euphorbia lactea cristata · Crested Euphorbia
Guide
Written and kept by people who grow it. Every section carries its source.
No cultivar-specific guide yet
Until someone writes one, this cultivar follows the Euphorbia lactea care below. If you grow ‘Cristata’, a few honest paragraphs would give it its own voice.
Care recipe
Each fact carries its confidence tier — and says whether it belongs to this cultivar or is inherited from the species.
Bright, indirect
≈ every 28 days
Low — average room
13–29 °C
Gritty, fast-draining cactus and succulent mix
graft (typical retail form)
Light succulent feed once or twice during the growing season
Slow
Rarely flowers indoors
Toxic to cats & dogs & humans
Milky latex in every part of the plant contains diterpene esters. Skin contact can cause dermatitis, eye contact can damage the cornea, and ingestion blisters the mouth and lips. Toxic to cats, dogs, and people — keep sap off skin and the plant out of reach. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
Sources: growswithlove.com product listing (Mermaid Tail Coral Cactus) · NC State Extension Plant Toolbox — Euphorbia lactea (species entry; poison characteristics)
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow ‘Cristata’ 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.
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