Mottled spurge is a deciduous, spiny, usually leafless, cactus-like, succulent shrub or small tree. It can grow to a height of 15 feet but is typically maintained as a 1 to 2-foot houseplant. This plant is a member of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) and .is native to Sri Lanka. The plant has adapted itself to dry regions and appears in many tropical and sub-tropical areas worldwide. It has been known to escape from cultivation and form dense thickets. It grows wild in tropical Asia and is widely cultivated in the West Indies, Florida and many tropical areas worldwide. The specific epithet, lactea , means "milk' and reference the plant's milky-like sap. Mottled spurge is best grown in well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It cannot tolerate wet soil, but you can allow soils to dry out after each watering. Water consistently in summer to prevent soils from totally drying out and decrease watering in winter. The plant is winter hardy to zones 10 and 11 and is intolerant to frost. The plant has spiny stems and mottled branches that are green with white lines, sometimes growing in a crested (cristate) form. Tiny leaves do appear in summer but drop quickly leaving the plant leafless. Flowering is rare; however, if flowers appear they are found at the stem tips and are yellow-tinged, paired cyathia. Other characteristics include 4-angled stems with paired black stem thorns. If injured, the plant will ooze a toxic, milky latex. Potted plants can be overwintered indoors or grown year-round as a houseplant. In the warmer climates, it may be used as a hedge. Disease, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No known serious insect or disease problems. Aphids, mealybugs and nematodes may appear. Watch for mites. Avoid contact with poisonous plant sap by wearing protective gloves. All parts of this plant are poisonous. Keep out of reach of children and pets. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti," a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Euphorbia .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Columnar; Erect; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Green; Variegated
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf feel
Prickly
Leaf size
< 1 inch long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Tiny ovate leaves appear at the growing tips in summer, but drop quickly leaving plants leafless most of the time.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Insignificant
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Mottled spurge rarely flowers, but inconspicuous flowers with a yellow tinge sometimes appear near the stem tips. When flowers do appear, they are paired cyathia.
Stem color
Green; White
Stem detail
Four angled spiny stems with paired black thorns. Mottled branches (green with white lines). May grow in a cristate form.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Sri Lanka
Distribution
Introduced: Bahamas, Bangladesch, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Hawaii, India, Leeward Islands, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Thailand, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuelan Antilles, and Windward Islands.
Food & Medicine
Edibility
Toxic if eaten
Uses (ethnobotany)
Used as a poison and medicine.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Houseplants
Design feature
Hedge; Specimen
Garden tags
#poisonous #succulent #shrub #rabbit resistant #winter interest #deer resistant #drought tolerant #problem for children #problem for dogs #problem for cats #houseplant #partial shade tolerant #columnar #sap #small tree #contact dermatitis #full sun tolerant #poisonous if ingested #spines #hedge
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Contact Dermatitis; Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs; Spines/Thorns
The milky white latex sap found in all plant parts can cause mild to severe contact dermatitis. If contact with the eyes occurs the sap can cause temporary to permanent damage to the cornea. If eaten, blistering can occur on lips and oral mucosa. Avoid ingesting plant parts and keep plants away from pets and children.