Coral Cactus Plant Care - How to Grow Euphorbia lactea 'Cristata' - Soltech
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Coral Cactus

SCENTIFIC NAME: Euphorbia lactea 'Cristata'

KNOWN AS: Crested Elkhorn, Crested Candelabra Plant, Crested Euphorbia

CLIMATE (LOCATION): Africa | Tropical

DESCRIPTION: This plant is two plants in one! The bottom is a Euphorbia neriifolia and the top is a Euphorbia lactea. People graft these plants together to create this curious Frankenstein plant that looks like something from a coral reef!

Coral Cactus Care

Watering
Water your soil deeply, but allow the top half to dry out between waterings. Reduce how often you water in winter or in lower light conditions.
Lighting
Coral Cacti thrive in bright, indirect light and needs a few hours a day in direct light.
Humidity
Coral Cacti like high humidity, but they also need to be misted occasionally to remove dust.
Temperature
This cactus can live in a variety of temperatures, but it prefers warmer temperatures. If it is too cold or drafty, it may complain.
Toxicity
Coral Cacti are poisonous to pets and humans. If you eat it, your mouth and stomach will be irritated. Some people get a rash from touching the sap.
Propagation
Since this is a grafted plant, the only way to propagate it is to graft another pair of cuttings. If the base (Euphorbia neriifolia) produces a lateral branch, you can take a stem cutting, around 3 inches long. Rinse or wipe off the milky sap. From there, you can simply allow the cutting to callus over and pot up that single plant or you can venture on to grafting a portion of the crest (Euphorbia lactea). This essentially consists of cutting a 'v'-shaped tongue and groove in order to slot the two plants together. You'll need to secure the two pieces together using twine or grafting wax and wait for it to grow

Hanging Heights

Coral Cactus Lighting Requirements: Full Sun (Bright Direct Light) & High Light (Bright Indirect Light)

Similar Lighting Requirements