Lesser candelabra tree
Euphorbia cooperi
Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae)
Elegant but toxic
This plant has an almost festive appearance relative to the other, somewhat stiff plants in the cactus house. With its winged green branches this spurge attracts immediate attention. It is not a cactus but belongs to the spurge family, which means that its whitish sap is poisonous - therefore it does not appear on the menu of any wild animal. It grows naturally on the dry, rocky landscape of the four northern provinces of South Africa.
The ridges of the wings are edged with dark spines that contrast beautifully with the light green stem. The plant comes into flower in the wet growing season with small greenish-yellow flowers borne along the edges of the ridged wings.
The poisonous milky sap was traditionally used by the South Africans to poison fish. The sap anesthetizes the fish that then rise to the surface of the water and thus can be easily caught.
Themes
Crown jewel in the Zuidas Botanic Garden.
The latex has a sharp fragrance.
Details
| Description: | Succulent, spiny tree up to 7 m tall, with conspicuous candelabra-like branches. |
|---|---|
| Distributions: | Tanzania to south africa |
| Habitat: | Wooded grassland and rocky sites. |
| Year cycle: | Perennial (trees and shrubs included) |
| Hardiness: | 34 - 41 f (tender - cool or frost-free glasshouse) |
| Flowering period: | September - oktober |
| Flower color: | Yellow, green |
| Notes on flowers: | The yellowish green, monoecious flowers, which are clustered along ridges between the spines, are found in groups of 3 umbel-like racemes situated towards the tips of the branches. |
| Fruiting period: | September - oktober |
| Fruit color: | Red |
| Notes on fruits: | The large, red fruit bursts open when ripe, flinging individual seeds several meters. |
| At its best: | September - oktober |