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Species library › Euphorbia › Euphorbia lactea
Succulents Well documented

Euphorbia lactea

The mottled spurge, a candelabra-like succulent shrub to 5 m from Sri Lanka and widely planted across the tropics (the crested 'Cristata' form is a common houseplant). It wants full sun, heat and fast drainage, with dry spells between waterings.

Euphorbia lactea
Photo: Cody Hough, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Dry lowland scrub and open ground of Sri Lanka; an erect stem-succulent shrub with three- or four-angled spiny branches.

Lowland; the single climate point is at 240 m.

Sri Lanka

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.