African Milkweed Plant

African milkweed plant

Like most succulents, African milk tree plants are easy to care for. They like well-draining soil and infrequent watering. Keep them in a bright sunny spot but try and provide some shade during the hottest hours. Keep up their vigorous growth by repotting every year and fertilizing during the growing season.

How poisonous is African milk tree?

African Milk Trees are mildly toxic to pets and humans. Ingestion will cause mouth and stomach irritation and possible vomiting. Some people experience skin irritation when handling the sap.

How long do African milk trees live?

Another interesting use of the African Milk Tree is in tropical Africa, where this plant is used ceremonially and is planted as part of some rituals. African Milk Trees can live to a very old age. They've even been known to still be able to flower at 60 years old!

How long do African milk trees take to grow?

Like a cactus, African milk tree lives a long life and grows vigorously—approximately 1 to 2 feet a year up to 9 feet tall. But when grown indoors, this plant will only grow to about half of its maximum height.

Where should you not plant milkweed?

It is not recommended to plant milkweed within 10 miles of the coast in central and northern California where milkweed did not occur historically. Instead, plant a variety of flowers native to your region that provide nectar from early spring through fall to support monarchs and other pollinators.

Do milkweed plants come back every year?

These native milkweed are perennials, meaning they come back year after year. Their aerial parts (flower, leaves, stem) die back but their rootstock remains alive throughout the winter. Cut back milkweed stalks in the late fall or winter, after they have produced seed pods and these seeds have had time to mature.

Can I put my African milk tree outside?

If you live in a region that experiences below freezing temperatures, you'll need to bring your African milk tree indoors during the winter. For those living in warm enough climates, Euphorbia trigona will happily grow outdoors where it can get lots of direct sun.

What is African milk tree used for?

In its natural habitat, African Milk Tree (aka: Abyssinian Euphorbia) has a variety of landscaping and gardening uses. In the United States and other areas, it is grown as an indoor plant and used as an attractive addition to cactus and succulent gardens in warmer areas.

Is African milk tree toxic to dogs?

Toxicity: As with all Euphorbias, when a plant gets damaged, it exudes a thick white milky sap known as latex. This latex is poisonous and particularly dangerous for the eyes, skin and mucous membranes. Therefore, it can be poisonous to pets if ingested.

Can I cut the top off African milk plant?

Your plant is called a Euphorbia Trigona, also called an African Milk Tree or Cathedral Cactus. It looks like a cactus but really isn't one. It is a deciduous succulent from western Africa. You can't trim any of the stems, but you can totally remove some to make the plant more manageable.

How cold can African milk tolerate?

Temperature and humidity While the African milk tree can easily withstand hot temperatures, it does not do well in the cold. In fact, if temperatures drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, your plant will likely start dying.

Do African milk trees lose their leaves in winter?

Natural leaf cycle can result in leaf drop. If you have noticed that your African Milk Tree is starting to lose leaves during autumn and winter, then this might simply be part of the natural growth cycle. African Milk Trees commonly drop quite a lot of their leaves during the dormant period to preserve energy.

How much water does an African milk plant need?

Evenly water the top layer of soil and let it soak down, pour away any excess water. Increase watering in the summer while the plant is actively growing, check soil moisture once a week. In winter, only water once the top 1 inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Underwatering is always less harmful than overwatering.

How tall does an African milk tree get?

How big does the African milk tree get? African milk trees can grow to 10 feet tall given favorable conditions. Indoors, it often grows to 6 feet or so.

Why is my African milk tree dying?

A dying African Milk Tree can suggest overwatering If your African Milk Tree is dying and developing soft leaves, then overwatering might be to blame. As African Milk Trees are succulents (that look like Cacti), they really don't need much water to thrive and prefer a dry potting mix.

Why is milkweed a problem?

Tropical milkweed becomes a problem when planted in temperate areas where it does not die back in winter. A protozoan parasite of monarch butterflies, Ophryocystis elektroscirrha or OE for short, can travel with monarchs visiting the plants and become deposited on leaves.

Why do farmers not like milkweed?

Milkweed has a reputation for encroaching on cropland where it can compete with crops for soil and light. The plant can also create a nuisance on ranchlands, as cattle can be poisoned when poor foraging conditions lead hungry cows to milkweed-concentrated areas as a last resort.

Can humans touch milkweed?

All parts of the plant contain toxic cardiac glycosides, which can cause nausea, diarrhea, weakness, and confusion in small amounts, and seizures, heart rhythm changes, respiratory paralysis, and even death in large amounts. Milkweed can also irritate the skin and eyes if touched.

Does milkweed spread a lot?

Common Milkweed Can Spread Aggressively Anyone in its native range (zones 3 to 8) with space for a wildflower garden can consider common milkweed. But gardeners should be aware that this species is considered very aggressive. It spreads not only by seed but by underground rhizome, and can be very difficult to control.

What month do you plant milkweed?

Ideally, the best time to plant milkweed seeds is in the fall so the cold temperatures and moisture that come with winter stimulate germination. You can also plant milkweed in the springtime.

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