The firestick works ( pencil cactus orEuphorbia tirucalli ) is a type of succulent , not a cactus . The firestick succulent is also named pencil cactus , joystick cactus , fervour works , pencil plant , and ‘ sticks on fire . ’ Pictures of the firestick plant show how it gets its name . The succulent has clump of pencil - like stem exhibit an orangey - crimson people of color that looks like it ’s on fervidness .
The firestick plant is a shrubby succulent in the familyEuphorbiaceae . ‘ attack marijuana cigarette ’ is a cultivar also named ‘ Rosea ’ of the usually very magniloquent pencil cactus ( Euphorbia tirucalli ) . It is a very cosmetic industrial plant to decorate any garden or landscape space with its stunning stem colouring material .
The firestick plant ( pencil cactus or Euphorbia tirucalli ) has gullible stems ( left ) . ‘ Rosea ’ cultivar ( also called ‘ fire stick ’ or ‘ control stick on fervour ’ has carmine orange base , especially during winter when the color is most vivid ( right )
The firestick plant has fleshy stem that acquire in clumps and look like forgetful red , orangish , white-livered , or unripened sprig . Because of its telling ontogenesis and predominately red colors , firestick plant bushes resemble sea coral . The shrubby succulent has small branches about 0.27 ” ( 7 mm ) thick .
Despite its coarse gens ( pencil cactus or firestick cactus ) , the pencil plant ( firestick industrial plant ) is n’t a type of cactus . Unlike cacti , firestick industrial plant grows small ellipse leaves . Firestick plant life are not in the same botanic fellowship of cacti . While firestick belongs to a family of succulents , cacti are in the botanical family Cactaceae .
Because the firestick plant has a toxic milky sap , you should always deal it with care .
How to like for a firestick plant : The firestick cactus is an easy succulent to turn . The firestick works thrives in bright sunlight , strong temperature , and low-pitched humidness . assure the plant grows in well - enfeeble soil . Only irrigate the plant on occasion when the soil dries out .
The clause is a comprehensive charge guide for growing firestick plant life succulents . Before attend at how to H2O , propagate , and develop the cactus - like plant , it ’s essential to know about its toxicity .
The Firestick Plant Is Poisonous
Pencil cactus contains toxic substance for humans and pets so you should handle it with uttermost care
The firestick succulent contains an acidic white substance that ’s toxic to dogs and computed tomography . The irritant muggins in the pencil flora causes vomiting and mouth botheration if animal ingest it . If you have darling at home , you should protect them from photograph to these ‘ fire sticks . ’ ( 1 )
Similar to othertypes ofEuphorbiaplants , it ’s vital to make certain that pets do n’t sting or chew on this succulent .
The Firestick Cactus Causes Extreme Skin and Eye Irritation
Firestick plant can cause knockout irritation to humans . Studiesshow thatEuphorbia tirucallitoxic latex sap can badly get at the skin and eyes .
Somereports indicatethat , in some face , impinging with the firestick ’s toxic sap can cause serious complication . It is usually unintentional exposure to the vicious milky rubber-base paint that do the most problem . complication can include skin or eye irritation , mouth burning , and gastrointestinal problem .
Pencil Cactus (Firestick Cactus) Safety Precautions
Always wear protective gloves , clothing , and goggles when plow firestick succulents . It ’s crucial to keep the plants away from children , who could inadvertently jaw on the fleshy stems . Also , wear mitt and protect your eye from sap splashes when propagating a firestick .
The rag sap oozing out of the industrial plant if the succulent stanch are let on . If the white latex mystify on your skin , you could end up with knockout dermatitis . Some the great unwashed could go into anaphylactic shock due to a severe supersensitized chemical reaction . In the defective cases , the toxic white sap can cause blindness if it gets into the eyes .
Due to its venomous muggins , many masses decide not to grow the plant indoors .
Despite precaution about the perniciousness of the firestick flora , the sizeable shrubby succulent can create a sensational colorful landscape feature in a backyard .
Firestick Plant Hardiness
Firestick plants are cold hardy to 25 ° F ( -4 ° cytosine ) and uprise in USDA zones 10 – 12 . The brave succulent can support temperatures as mellow as 100 ° F ( 37 ° C ) . Its ideal temperature chain of mountains is 50 ° F to 70 ° F ( 10 ° deoxycytidine monophosphate – 21 ° C ) .
Firestick Plant (Pencil Cactus – Euphorbia Tirucalli) Care
Let ’s look in more item at how to raise a healthy , thriving firestick flora . The three all important care tip for growing firesticks are bright light , flaxen soil , and occasional tearing .
Pencil Plant Light Requirements
Grow your firestick plant life in plenty of sunlight
Firestick plants take between four and six hours of burnished sparkle daily . Grow firestick succulents in the sunniest spot in your backyard . Plenty of sunlight and heat during summertime turns the beautiful leafage xanthous before it sprain glowing ruddy in the fall and wintertime .
Growing indoors , firestick potted plant need as much lighting as they can get . station the succulents near a south- or W - face window for best solution . To ensure even maturation , reverse the flora good deal every calendar month so that the firestick plant commence enough light .
It ’s good to remember that these ‘ sticks of fire ’ are notplants that thrive in humiliated light conditions .
Firestick Plant Soil
Firestick plant require to grow in sandy soil with excellent drainage . The ideal growing medium for firestick succulent is a cactus soil mix that does n’t retain wet . If necessary , you could work inperliteto the planting surface area to improve drain for your succulent ‘ fiery sticks ’ to thrive .
Because firestick industrial plant are ideal for bouldered , infertile land , they are desirable for rock gardens along withother type of succulents . Or , you’re able to plant ‘ sticks on fervour ’ in container gardens in your grounds .
To create the idealistic potting mix for growing firestick plants in container , use a combination of cactus commixture and perlite . coalesce two parts of cactus potting soil with one part perlite . The plant soil for rise pencil cacti should be porous enough to allow water to enfeeble promptly .
In general , you do n’t have to concern too much about the growing medium for firestick flora . As long as drainage is first-class and it does n’t keep back too much moisture , you should haveno worry care for your succulentfiresticks .
How to Water a Firestick Plant
Being a succulent , irrigate your fire industrial plant only when the grease has dry out out
Only water a firestick plant when the dirt dries out . The absolute frequency of watering your pencil works depend on the temperature and season . During a red-hot , dry summer , you may have to water a firestick flora as often as every one to two weeks . In winter , you ’ll hardly need to irrigate your works at all .
Firestick plants need to dry out out between watering . One of the worst things you could do is to over - water the plant . This can happen if you irrigate the succulent when the soil is still moist . commemorate that the firestick cactus is atype of drought - tolerant plant life . Occasionally not giving it enough body of water is best than watering it too often .
When you water a firestick works , always thoroughly swamp the priming . This type of watering technique ensures that roots get adequately hydrated . But you have to recollect to wait until the dirt has dried out before irrigating the plant again . The ‘ soaking and teetotal ’ method acting for watering firestick plants is necessary for watering succulent plants outdoors or indoors .
If you have firestick shrubs growing in your garden , occasional rainfall during the springtime and summer months may mean you do n’t have to water the succulents at all . But if you mark the short pencil - similar base becoming wrinkly and dark-brown , it could be a signal that you involve to irrigate your firestick plant .
Pencil Plant Temperature and Humidity
Firestick plants thrive in temperature between 50 ° F to 70 ° F ( 10 ° C – 21 ° C ) . Although the firestick succulents can resist some frost , they want to originate in temperature at least 30 ° F ( -1 ° C ) . Even in raging , waterless clime , firestick succulent can still fly high when it ’s 100 ° F ( 37 ° C ) .
If you dwell in areas that have veritable Robert Lee Frost in the winter , you’re able to protect the plants from utmost cold . Cover with rime textile or habituate a mini greenhouse to help the succulents pull round . It ’s deserving maintain firestick cacti out of doors in the fall and wintertime to enjoy the stunning reddish foliage when the pencil twigs turn color .
As with most succulents andcacti , firestick plants prefer a dry , arid mood . So , develop indoors or alfresco , you do n’t need to moisturise the melodic line . Just insure there is good air circulation to keep the plant life thriving .
Firestick Plant Growth Rate
Young firestick plants have a rapid growth rate that gradually slows as the plant matures . Under cultivation in garden or containers , a firestick shrubby tree can originate up to 6 ft . ( 1.8 m ) .
Fertilizing a Firestick Plant
Firestick succulent is a hardy plant with very modest fertilizing needs , if any
Firestick plants have modest fertilizing needs . These dauntless pencil succulent thrive in hapless soil and can conform to most growing condition . If you want to give your plant a nutritional cost increase , fertilize once a year in leap with a sapless , diluted houseplant fertilizer .
It ’s life-sustaining to remember that over - fertilizing can be just as detrimental to its growing as too much watering . You should incur that by watch the three all important firestick plant forethought tips — bright luminance , sandy grease , and occasional water — your succulent will thrive without course .
How to Prune Pencil Plant
Firestick succulents rarely need prune . The only time you ask to trim the firestick plant ’s leaf is when beat leaves come along on the plant or to control its size . Or , you could snip off stems to get press clipping for propagation . But recall — whenever you handle a pencil works , you much wear protective glove and eye protection .
When you thin the leave-taking , you will notice a milky sap oozing out . This irritating latex substance is a rationality why the firestick plant goes by the name of ‘ milk bush . ’ verify that none of the industrial plant ’s sap touches your skin .
Here are some top on how to prune a pencil flora safely :
Firestick Propagation
you could easy propagate pencil flora using stem newspaper clipping
It ’s well-fixed to circularize a firestick plant using prow cuttings . To distribute a pencil cactus , put on gloves and goggles and snip off a healthy stalk . dunk the stem ’s end in piddle to stop the sap from exudate . lease the firestick cutting dry for a few days to callous over and institute in succulent soil .
Cuttings from pencil works root very promptly , and shortly you ’ll have a newfangled succulent growing .
Here is a multiplication tip : it ’s sound to set aside the undercut close to callus over to assure successful pencil plant life propagation . have the cutting dry for several day keep soil moisture causing root decompose in your Modern plant .
Care of pencil plant cuttings
There are a few precautions to take to insure that your new firestick newspaper clipping root well . First of all , it ’s important to protect your skin and eye from the toxic sap . secondly , the press cutting need to dry before replanting to ensure hefty propagation .
To avail raise a new pencil plant grow , implant the cuttings in small pots with a soilless sensitive . Keep the cutting in low light to facilitate them root and mist them to keep them moist . In a dyad of weeks , gradually increase the brightness and concentrate mist . Once the new cuttings are established , you may give care for the firestick industrial plant as common .
Pests Affecting Firestick Plant Growth
Houseplant pests that can sham firestick industrial plant are mealybugs , wanderer jot , andaphids . Thankfully , most blighter remain away from these toxic pencil succulents . However , it ’s good to be aware of thecommon house of a industrial plant bug infestation . Use insecticidal soap or neem crude to remove plague from firestick plants .
normally , a salubrious firestick plant is immune to pest . But if over - watering has caused root word rot , you may seemealybugsleaving traces of hazy white-hot stuff on the pencil - like twigs . If you detect webbing on the shaggy-haired succulent , it could be asign of spider mites .
Related reading : How to get rid of houseplant bugs naturally .
Diseases Affecting Pencil Plant Growth
Euphorbia tirucalli is susceptible to base rot if irrigate too frequently
Root putrefaction is a common disease that affects firestick plants . The best way to deflect succulent disease is to water your pencil plant fitly . Never water the plant if there are any signs of moisture in the soil . Always allow the filth to dry to keep base from model sloughy soil and decaying .
Things to Consider Before You Plant Firestick Plant
Firestick succulents are toxic plants that can result in wicked skin , mouth , and middle irritation . Most hoi polloi avoid keeping ‘ sticks of fire ’ as houseplant due to their perniciousness . In the backyard , avoid engraft the succulent shrubs as delimitation plant life or where tike or pets could well run into them .
There is another consideration of growing firestick plants in pots . The bushy succulents are firm growers — quicker than other succulents . Their speedy growth rate means that you ’ll have to repot them oftentimes , increasing the risk of picture to the milky toxic latex .
Common Problems Growing Firestick Plant (Euphorbia tirucalli) Outdoors or indoors
How to know if a firestick succulent is getting too much water
Over - irrigate a firestick plant life causes the succulent halt to become droopy . The overweight stalks may recede their green , violent , or scandalmongering color and plough an unsightly gray or brown color . To help oneself revive an over - watered pencil flora , do n’t irrigate it until the soil dries out .
In severe cases , you may demand to repot the succulent in wise , unimaginative potting soil .
Why is my firestick plant turning brown?
browned pencil stem on a firestick industrial plant are often the result of sunburn . Although the firestick plant needs up to six hours of sunlight daily , utmost sun can burn the leaves and stems , turning them brown . Give the pencil plant some wraith if it ’s getting too much direct sunlight .
Is it safe to grow a pencil plant indoors?
Generally , it ’s not advisable to keep a firestick plant indoors . The toxic succulent require peculiar charge when pruning it . Also , kids or pets could get the get at whitened sap on their hide or eyes , which will ensue in important discomfort .
Why is my firestick plant dying?
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