Euphorbia mauritanica

The pencil milkbush, or yellow milk bush, is a leafless, branching succulent shrub with smooth yellow-green stems. It dominates parts of the Succulent Karoo and grows widely across the western half of South Africa into Namibia. It is tough and easy given full sun, very sharp drainage and a cool, mostly dry winter.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Dry valleys, hillsides and rocky slopes in the Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo and renosterveld, often as a dominant shrub in open succulent scrub.

Records span about 10–1,460 m, with a median near 330 m.

Western CapeNorthern CapeEastern CapeFree StateKwaZulu-NatalNamibia

🔒 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 2.5 licence, unmodified.