Pencil tree
Euphorbia tirucalli L.
Euphorbia tirucalli (pencil tree) is a succulent spurge-family shrub with green pencil-like branches and a toxic milky sap; native to Africa and widely grown as a hedge and ornamental.
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Pencil tree — street tree (use)Pencil tree — plant with green branches
Pencil tree — young leaves
Pencil tree — yellow flowers
Pencil tree — pencil-like branches
Pencil tree — 'Sticks on Fire' cultivar with red tipsPencil tree — street tree (use)Pencil tree — plant with green branchesOverview
Euphorbia tirucalli, commonly called pencil tree, Indian tree spurge or milk bush, is a flowering plant of the spurge family Euphorbiaceae, first described by Linnaeus in 1753. It is a succulent shrub or small tree, growing 2–9 m tall in its native Africa but usually only 1–1.5 m in cultivation. Its most distinctive feature is its green, cylindrical, fleshy, smooth and spineless branches about 7 mm thick, clustered together and looking like pencils or chopsticks; these branches photosynthesise in place of leaves. The true leaves are tiny, 1–2.5 cm long, and usually fall early. The flowers (cyathia) are yellow at the tips of the branches.
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/11/2026
The whole plant contains a milky white latex that is toxic and corrosive. The pencil tree is native to tropical and southern Africa (notably northeastern, central and southern Africa, on black clay soils) and possibly the Arabian Peninsula, and has been introduced to many other tropical regions such as Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines and Ghana. It grows in dry areas, especially savanna, and is often planted as a hedge. In traditional medicine across many cultures the milky sap has been used (with great caution) for sinusitis, warts, tumours, asthma, toothache and rheumatism, and the plant has been studied as a 'petroleum plant' for biofuel because of the hydrocarbons in its latex.
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/11/2026
Life cycle
From seed to productPlant
Succulent shrub/small tree with densely clustered green branches.
Leaves
Tiny true leaves at the tips of young branches, usually falling early.
Flowers (cyathia)
Small yellow flowers borne at the tips of the branches.
Branches
Green cylindrical fleshy pencil-like branches that photosynthesise instead of leaves.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Africa (native: NE/central/southern)30%
- Arabian Peninsula & nearby islands10%
- Brazil (introduced)15%
- India & Sri Lanka15%
- Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Philippines, ...)30%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Water75%
- LatexToxic, corrosive12%
- Triterpenoids (euphol, tirucallol)5%
- Hydrocarbons (bio-oil)Fuel potential3%
- Flavonoids3%
- Other (fibre, minerals)2%
Uses
- Living hedge & ornamental: widely used as a garden hedge, ornamental and desert-style bonsai; easily propagated from cuttings (let the latex dry before planting)
- Folk medicine: the latex and extracts are used (with great caution) for sinusitis, warts, tumours, asthma, toothache and rheumatism in many countries — but the sap is extremely corrosive and only for external use
- Biofuel: because its latex contains hydrocarbons, it has been studied as a 'petroleum plant' for biodiesel and trialled at scale
- Safety warning: the latex causes severe skin irritation and eye damage (possible temporary blindness); ingestion burns the mouth, lips and tongue — keep away from children and pets
Properties
- Form
- Succulent shrub/small tree with green spineless branches
- Product
- Hedge, ornamental; latex (folk medicine/research biofuel)
- Hallmark
- Pencil-like photosynthetic branches; corrosive milky sap
- Safety
- Whole plant has toxic sap — wear gloves and eye protection when pruning
Habitat & conservation
The pencil tree likes full sun and dry, well-drained soil and is very drought-tolerant; it grows in dry areas, especially savanna, on black clay soils. It is native to Africa (northeastern, central and southern) and possibly the Arabian Peninsula, and has been introduced to many tropical regions such as Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines and Ghana, where it is often planted as a hedge.
Conservation
The pencil tree has a wide distribution in Africa and is widely cultivated and naturalised across the tropics, so it is not threatened — classified Least Concern (LC). Euphorbiaceae, genus Euphorbia. Note: the whole plant has a toxic milky sap.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Euphorbia tirucalli L. — Kew Science, 2026
- 2Euphorbia tirucalli (pencil tree) — description, latex toxicity, habitat, uses — English Wikipedia, 2026
- 3Giao (cây) — đặc điểm, phân bố, công dụng — Vietnamese Wikipedia, 2026
- 4绿玉树 Euphorbia tirucalli — 形態、乳汁與用途 — Chinese Wikipedia, 2026
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Mokkie (CC BY-SA 3.0); Forest and Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0 US); Bansan (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: Salil Kumar Mukherjee (CC BY-SA 4.0); Derek Ramsey/Ram-Man (CC BY-SA 3.0); Downtowngal (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,