African milk tree: Diseases and Remedies (3-minute Read)

NOTE: African milk tree may be referred to as Euphorbia trigona in this article, in fact, those are the same plants, Euphorbia trigona is the botanical name for African milk tree.

The African milk tree is native to Central Africa. Due to its rapid and enthusiastic growth, it is often grown as a hedge. This plant is called candelabra cactus, cathedral cactus, friendship cactus, and good luck cactus, but it is actually a Succulent plant. It has three different sides seamed with ridges.

The ridges are covered with thorns and leaves. New growth is a light green hue and the plant is lush and green throughout its growing season. The Rubra or Royal Red is popular for its dramatic color and bright red accents late in the season.

Warning: African milk tree (or Euphorbia trigona) has been reported to be toxic to Humans and Pets.

Why does my Euphorbia trigona roots have rot?

If left untreated, root rot on your African milk tree (Euphorbia trigona) can be fatal. For this reason, if the symptoms appear, we highly advise that you adhere to our recommendations to keep your plant alive: Blackened and softened roots.
African

Why does my African milk tree have gray mold spots?

A particular fungus known as gray mold spots spreads quickly and frequently damages flowers. This fungus is probably to blame if you see any brown (or gray) spots. If you disregard these warning signs, your plant could die.

Our Solution

The answer is obvious once you recognize the cause of the problem. Most frequently, it results from the Euphorbia trigona being overwatered. We strongly advise you to remove the damaged plant parts, cut off the diseased roots and leaves, and then repot your plant in a new container with sterile potting soil.

Why does my African milk tree have leaf spots?

Leaf If your plants exhibit symptoms like rapid color changes in the leaves or leaves that wilt or droop, we give you all the information you need to recognize them and rescue your plants. For owners of African milk tree, this kind of illness is among the most distressing.

Why are my African milk tree leaves turning yellow?

This is probably the most common problem in the gardening world, yellowing leaves. There are 2 main reasons for this phenomenon, overwatering, or a lack of nutrients.

When it’s overwatering, simply reduce your watering frequency, and if you think it’s a nutrient deficiency, here’s how to check it:

Here are some indicators of yellowing on the Euphorbia trigona brought on by its numerous flaws:

  • Magnesium deficiency starts as yellow patches between leaf veins on older leaves. Veins stay green as yellow moves from the leaf center out. Leaf edges turn yellow last.
  • Another indicator of iron deficiency is yellowing between leaf veins, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are first affected.
  • Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
  • Insufficient potassium causes the leaf edges to turn brilliant yellow while the interior of the leaf stays green. Older leaves show the symptoms initially, and the leaf edges quickly darken.
  • Nitrogen deficiency shows up as a general yellowing. Older, inner leaves turn yellow first. As it progresses, yellowing moves outward, eventually reaching young leaves, too.

Our Solution

You only need to act in accordance with the symptoms listed above. You can address a potassium or nitrogen deficiency by buying a particular soil, and a gardening store consultant will be able to advise you on how to do that. Furthermore, you can also limit how frequently you water your plants.

Is my African milk tree sunburned?

It is quite easy to find out if your African milk tree (Euphorbia trigona) has been burned by the sun. Just like on us, your plant will change color in this case, it will start to turn yellow or white.

Sunburned

The leaves of your African milk tree can also change color in case it gets too much water or not enough light, as we saw above.

To find out if the yellow leaves have been sunburned, look at the part of the bottom that is tinted closer to the base. The yellow leaf is probably burnt and not something else if this portion stays greener.

Why are my African milk tree leaves turning brown?

Most of the time, leaves of a African milk tree that turn brown is a sign that your plant has been sunburned, it has probably been exposed to too much direct sunlight. Don’t panic, your plant probably won’t die from this, but its growth will take a hit.

Should I leave my Euphorbia trigona in direct sunlight?

No! If your Euphorbia trigona (or African milk tree) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your African milk tree is in such a state!

Our Solution

The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s African milk tree out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.

Why are my Euphorbia trigona leaves drooping or wilting ?

When you become dehydrated, this usually happens. Large plants are more vulnerable since they need more water on a regular basis than smaller plants.

Drooping

You may quickly determine if your Euphorbia trigona plant needs water by under-weighing its pot; if it seems light, the soil and roots are probably fairly dry and require water.

Our Solution

If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the African milk tree right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.

This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Euphorbia trigona

Water Occasionally

Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.

Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Euphorbia trigona is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Euphorbia trigona close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your African milk tree Dust-Free

This one concerns indoor plants, just like on your furniture, dust is also deposited on the leaves of your indoor plants, the problem is that it can prevent them from receiving the necessary light, this would slow down (or even stop) the photosynthesis process, and eventually, they would lose their colors.

This would be a true journey into hell for your African milk tree and would also satisfy the pests.

Take a microfiber cloth and gently massage the plant’s leaves to get rid of the dust. Use a damp cloth to make dust removal easier, but avoid using corrosive materials like rubbing alcohol!

Keep drainage in mind

If you have a tendency to overwater, you should be mindful of your drainage, and if they don’t already have them, we suggest selecting a saucer and a pot with drainage holes.

You can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the interim if your pots don’t already have holes in them. This will help to form a channel so that the water doesn’t pool there for too long (preventing the rot of the roots!).