Pencil Plant

My plant has gotten to big for the pot. It has two limbs coming off the main trunk that are at least a 1.5 inches thich at their base. Can I cut these off and plant them? Should I wait for cooler weather? Will the main trunk resprout? Any advice welcomed. Tim

Funny I read this; I just potted up some pencil euphorbia cuttings today. How tall is your plant overall, and how long are these limbs? These plants are fairly easy to root if you don't overwater and kill them. If I were you, I'd take the ends of those limbs that you remove, maybe 10 or 12 inches, and root those and discard the fatter lower portions. Growing tips always root faster than "old" limbs. Waiting for cooler weather is the opposite of what you want to do. The heat is good for them. They slow down when it gets cool. The mother plant will fill back in where you pruned. Is it time to move it up to the next sized pot? (You said it's too big for the pot it's in.) If you do that, it would be a good time to reshape the "tree" so it can fill out. You know the routine about cutting on euphorbia- the sap is noxious and it's very important not to get it on your skin, esp. in your EYES. If you have a tiny amount on your hands and rub your eyes you could be in trouble. It wouldn't blind you, but the pain and inflammation would be miserable. Wear gloves when working with it; disposable vinyl gloves are best. Long sleeve shirt and maybe goggles if you don't wear glasses anyway. To stop the "bleeding" when you make a cut, have paper towels saturated with water and apply to the cuts. That will stop the bleeding quickly. Plant your cuttings in ordinary potting mix that drains well. Water only when the mix is dry down several inches. Your finger will tell you whether there is still moisture under the surface of the mix. Or the mix will feel "cool" if it's still damp. Cuttings should be kept in the shade. After they begin to put on new growth, which is a sign they have rooted, you can gradually introduce them to some sun. And you do know they need protection from freezing weather. Succulents take their time developing roots and growing, so don't get discouraged. This particular plant grows faster than most succulents once it develops a good root system. Please keep pets and children away from them. If they run up against one and make a wound, sap can spray on them. If that happens, use running water, then soap, then a cortisone creme if you have any.

Swampguy: What planting zone is Baton Rouge in? I have a couple of the Pencil Tree's, two planted in the ground and another that I'm getting ready to take out of the container and plant in the yard. My first plant is from a very small cutting from a friend years ago. She and her husband just break off pieces and stick them in the ground and they root. I had a very hard time rooting them for a long time. Now, I let the cuttings sit out and callous over for a few days and then pot them up. They have a tendency to get top heavy and want to tilt over if they are not pruned and I have never pruned mine so they bend and twist as they get taller. They don't seem to mind the heat and humidity in summer. We have had a night or two of frost over the past few winters but haven't had a hard freeze in awhile. I just throw an old blanket over them if we are predicted to have a cold night. I have a feeling mine will be goners if, or I should say when we get a freeze again. I have never pruned/trimmed mine but there is a photo in Plant Files: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53909/ of a very nice looking rounded one!

Good luck with your cuttings, I hope they take root quickly and do well for you.


This is the one I'm getting ready to transplant to the yard.

I failed to notice you're in LA. I would try one in the ground for sure.

And I failed to mention letting cuttings callous over for a week or two before potting! TKS to plant lady for mentioning that.

You are welcome dp72! My friend who gave me my first pencil tree doesn't let them callous over. She just sticks them right in the ground as soon as she breaks them off. None have rooted that way for me ... they usually rot, so I do let mine sit out for a few days to a few weeks as you suggested, so the ends callous over and harden a bit before planting them.