Euphorbia trigona 'Rubra' - Red African Milk Tree
Sprouts of BristolThis Euphorbia is striking thanks to its deep red colour. Bright light helps keep the colour at this striking level of vibrancy, and keep the plant happy and growing too. Though not technically a true cactus, it has that striking cactus-like shape with its tall columnar stems and sharp spines. It grows deep red leaves alongside its spikes, too, giving it a truly unusual and eye-catching appearance. Its thick succulent stems hold water, allowing it to survive in the driest environments - including the homes of forgetful gardeners! Keep this plant happy with a spot in direct sun, and not too much water, and it will reward you with growing more of its deep red-and-green foliage. Just watch out for the white sap that gives it the name 'Milk Tree' - it's an irritant to skin so we'd advise handling with gloves and making sure you wash your hands afterwards.
Scientific Name
Euphorbia trigona ‘Rubra’ (Euphorbus' plant with three-angled stems, cultivar: red)
Synonyms: Euphorbia hermentiana
This plant has had its current classification since 1768; as it is a Euphorbia, it isn't technically a cactus, though it has similar needs.
Common Names
Red African Milk Tree, African Milk Plant, Triangular Euphorbia, Royal Red, Cathedral Cactus, Friendship Cactus, Good Luck Cactus
Origin
Native to West Africa, particularly found in seasonally dry tropical regions in Angola, Congo, Gabon, Malawi and Zaire
Light
Prefers bright, indirect sunlight. It can tolerate some direct sunlight, but too much can cause the stems to scorch. Ensure it receives adequate light for vibrant colour and healthy growth.
Water
Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Water thoroughly, ensuring excess water drains away, and reduce watering in the winter months when the plant is dormant.
Humidity
Enjoys low to moderate humidity, just make sure it's not close to an operating radiator or in a very damp space.
Soil
Use a well-draining cactus or succulent potting mix to promote drainage; look for a mix incorporating sand and grit. Repot every three to four years as the plant grows.
Food
Feed every six waters in the growing season; use a fertiliser designed for houseplants or cacti and succulents. Reduce feeding in winter when the plant won't be actively growing.
Temperature
Thrives in warm temperatures from 18-30°C. Protect from temperatures below 12°C, as it is sensitive to frost and cold draughts.
Pet Safe?
No, this plant is mildly toxic if ingested, so keep out of reach of animals and children. Handle with care, as the latex-like sap can be irritating to the skin and eyes.
Sprouts Top Tips
The easiest way to go wrong with this succulent is by giving it too much water; make sure the soil is totally dry before you water again. If the main stem has gone totally brown and squishy, the best course of action will be to take stem cuttings from any healthy part of the plant and propagate them newly.
Important Information
If you have any questions, please check out the below or get in touch via our contact formWe're devoted to sending our customers quality plants with the best service around. Every plant is backed by our 7-day guarantee, so they arrive in good health.
Our team takes extra steps when prepping plants for transportation, but they're still sensitive to changes, so there may be minor cosmetic issues. We always aim to photograph and disclose any flaws before shipping, but a living creature travelling across the country in a box can take a hot minute to adjust to its new life.
If you have any issues within 7 days of receiving your order, holler at our customer support team on our contact form with your order details and some pics of the issue. After the guarantee has expired, though, we can't refund as we can't guarantee care and environmental factors. If you repot the plant during the 7 days, the guarantee is void.
We have been sending plants up and down the country for many year now and we like to think we have our way down to an art.
We protect the plant from falling out of the soil with tissue paper and tape if needed, then we wrap the plant in corrugated cardboard, and sometimes we protect the leaves with extra tissue paper if required. This is then placed into a box and if there is any empty space, we fill this with void fill to stop the plants moving around inside the box. Sometimes we will write a note on your packing slip to water the plant on arrival, so please look out for this. This is due a freshly watered plant going in a box will not only be soggy, but as the plant is in darkness this can sometimes make the plant unhappy when just freshly watered.
If your plant arrives to you unhappy, please send us a photo of the plant and packaging if relevant straight away, so we can advise you.
Online orders are packed and dispatched within a few days. Usually depending on volumes, we aim to get your order dispatched within 1 working day. We have collections from Royal Mail 6 days a week so deliveries tend to be speedy.
Our standard parcel delivery service is £4.99 for Royal Mail Tracked48, you can upgrade to Tracked24 for £2.50.
We do offer a Tracked48 Large Letter option for £2.99, and Tracked24 for £1 extra, but this only applies to products less than 2.5cm thick.
*Deliveries 7 days a week only included Tracked24 parcels.
Link to your shipping policy
We get a lot of boxes, packaging and whatnot at Sprouts from all our various supplier's deliveries. We re-use this packaging material where possible, plus we take in donations from local businesses and customers to our shop to avoid excess packaging going to landfill. Sometimes your delivery might look a little different, or come in a branded box from another company, but rest assured the items inside are carefully packed with love and attention inside. We use paper tape and all our branded materials included are fully recyclable. Sometimes we use polystyrene, bubble wrap or plastic wrap in the packaging, all these items are not new and where possible, please use them again.
We have partnered with Zedify to offer low-carbon deliveries in Central Bristol for £6.99.
Zedify collect and deliver orders from us Monday - Friday and will usually deliver your order the same day its collected. If you place your order before 11am, we will aim to get it collected the same day but this isnt always possible. When you have received your dispatch email, Zedify should be delivering your order the same day, anytime before 6pm.
We cannot give an idea of time, but if you would prefer delivery on a certain date (Monday - Friday) please get in touch or leave a note at check out with your preferred delivery date and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Zedify deliver to the following postcodes BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8 (1, 2, 3A - 3N, 4), BS9 (1,3,4).
Select click and collect at checkout to collect your order from our Bristol shop.
You will get an email when your order is ready to collect, where possible please come and collect your order the same day as we have limited space. If you are going to collect your order at a later date, please let us know in the message box at check out so we know when to expect you. Some items such as gift sets, kits and pre-order items may not be ready to collect the same day, again please let us know what day you would like to collect and we will let you know if there's any issues.
We do not offer free returns, but if you are unhappy with your delivery, please get in touch. If your parcel or order has been damaged, please take photos and send these over to our team so we can look into this for you.
If you have ordered an item and you would like to exchange it, we should be able to do this for you. There may be an extra charge for delivery, but get in touch to discuss. For plants there is a 7 day return policy and 30 days for everything else, apart from sale items which are none returnable.
You can return or exchange in our Bristol shop for free.
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