Euphorbia tirucalli L., Euphorbiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 11 (Go to the risk assessment).

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: lü yu shu

English: African milkbush, Indian tree-spurge, bone bush, finger tree, milk bush, milk hedge, milkbush, milkhedge, naked lady, pench tree, pencil bush, pencil plant, pencil tree, petroleum plant, rubber euphorbia, skeleton tree, tirucalli

French: euphorbe antivenerien

Maori (Cook Islands): ‘āmangamanga

Spanish: aveloz, consuelda, esqueleto

Habit:  tree

Description:  "This ornamental succulent shrub or small tree has abundant white poisonous latex as in other spurges and differs also from cacti in absence of spines.  It is recognized by: (1) many cylindric pencillike fleshy twigs or joints, forking upward; and (2) narrow green leaves 1/2-1 inch long, shedding early and usually absent.

"Shrub or small tree becoming 30 feet high and 6 inches in trunk diameter, with evergreen fleshy or succulent branches but usually leafless, hairless throughout.  Bark dark green, smooth or rough.  Branches many, whorled or sometimes single, curving outward and erect to form an irregular brushlike crown.  The pencillike dull green twigs or joints commonly 3-5 inches long and 1/4 inch in diameter, or only 1/8 inch at the rounded end and becoming 1/2 inch.  The smooth hairless surface often has many fine whitish lines.  White latex, caustic and poisonous, flows from cut surfaces.  Under the surface the twigs are light green, with sour taste.  Leaves few, scattered, alternate, oblanceolate, 1/2-1 inch long, 1/8 inch wide, broadest beyond middle, short-pointed at apex and tapering to stalkless base, slightly thick and succulent, the upper surface dull green, the lower surface paler with faint midvein.  Flower clusters are yellowish heads or balls 1/2-3/4 inch across, stalkless at ends of twigs, composed of many crowded cuplike clusters (involucres) 1/8-3/16 across.  Within are many male flowers each of 1 stamen on a stalk"  (Little et al., 1974; pp. 414-415).

Habitat/ecology:  Commonly planted as an ornamental or hedge plant (Little et al., 1974; pp. 414-415). In Hawai‘i (Kaua‘i), "sparingly naturalized locally as it forms dense thickets along Lawa‘i Road where it is propagating vegetatively" (Lorence et al., 1995; pp. 35-36).

Propagation:  Commonly reproduced from cuttings. Seed?

Native range:  Africa; cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Northern Cook Islands	Penrhyn (Tongareva) Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Northern Cook Islands	Pukapuka Atoll	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 86)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 571) Voucher cited: DA 16080
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (p. 66)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 40864) Taxon name on voucher: Euphorbia tirucalli
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (p. 66)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 7774 (PAP) Ornementale commune.
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Raivavae (Raevavae) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (p. 66)
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Raivavae (Raevavae) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Tubuai Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 377) Voucher cited: Stone 3915 (GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 139)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2012) (p. 59) Voucher cited: J. Parker & R. Parsons, J. Franklin BIED86 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Little, Elbert L./Woodbury, Roy O./Wadsworth, Frank H. (1974) (p. 414)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy W./Wagner, Warren L. (1995) (pp. 35-36) Voucher cited: T. Flynn 3133 (PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lau, Alex/Frohlich, Danielle (2013) (p. 7) Voucher cited: OED 2012032202 (BISH)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 100)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 94)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (pp. 131-132) Voucher cited: Hassall 168
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Îles Ouvéa (Ouvea Atoll)	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 52) Voucher cited: MacKee 18880
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 52) Voucher cited: MacKee 26218
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. Field notes)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. Field notes)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Peleliu (Beliliou) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 464) Occasionally planted in gardens, hedges, etc., but apparently nowhere spontaneous.
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 139)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island	introduced cultivated	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. (1969) (p. 11) Potted plant.
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced cultivated	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2007) (p. 33)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Cultivated and escaped. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; also widely cultivated in greenhouses of C. and N. China.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced invasive cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 181)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 40) Cultivated only
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Cousin Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 33)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced cultivated	Little, Elbert L./Woodbury, Roy O./Wadsworth, Frank H. (1974) (p. 414)

Comments:  Reported as possibly an invasive plant in the Galápagos Islands per Charles Darwin Research Station.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Euphorbia tirucalli, please let us know.