Succulent Sticks on Fire - Euphoria tirucalli

Euphoria tirucalli is an easy-care succulent is incredibly striking. The common name for this succulent, Sticks on Fire, is a great description of the red and coral color that it turns. The tangle of stems of Sticks on Fire are pencil thin and twiggy. This plant is also referred to as pencilbush or milkbush.

While this succulent can be grown in full sun or partial shade, the colors will be different based on how much sun it gets. A really bright and hot location (with possibly less reliable water) will result in brighter and more orange/red color. While a succulent planted in partial sun will appear greener in color. This is a common characteristic among many colorful succulents. A succulent that is ‘stressed’ with a hotter, brighter location and less water will often produce a more dazzling variety of color. New growth has a more vivid color than older stems.

This striking succulent does have one downside. Like most Euphorbias, Sticks on Fire has a toxic sap and while it is toxic to ingest, I’ve known lots of people who have this in their yard and have not heard of a dog or cat eating it (this is of course anecdotal). What the most likely danger is that when pruning, the sap can get on your hands and other parts of your skin and burn. It is common wisdom to use gloves and wash your hands after you have been handling this plant. So please be careful people!

You can buy cuttings of this succulent, Sticks on Fire on Amazon for a really reasonable price.

Euphoria tirucalli grows really easily from cutting so buying it online this way or getting a cutting from a friend can be a really economical way to add color to your garden!

Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire' also Aloe and a type of Jade — This garden looks especially great as the Orange on the flowering Aloe compliments the Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’. Notice that this plant is more green than some other varieties? This is because it only gets morning sun.

Euphorbia Sticks on Fire

This easy growing plant is mostly disease resistant, pest resistant, deer resistant, rabbit resistant, and fine living along the coasts (tolerant to salt water).

USDA Hardiness Zone: 10-12

Sunset Climate Zone: 13, 23, 24; H1, H2; or can be planted indoors – find your zone

Sun: Full Sun

Water: None once established.

Size: Grow in height to 6-8 feet tall and about 2 feet wide.

Grown Inside in a Container: Sticks on Fire thrives in a dry atmosphere with well-draining potting soil is as sunny of a spot as you can provide for it.

This plant looks nice paired with other orange flowering plants as well as succulents with a blue hue, such as
Blue Chalksticks (Senecio serpens) and Blue Glow Agave