Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southern Africa
Caribbean, Central America, Northern America, South America
Types
Firesticks, Old Man's Beard
Grafted Gymnocalycium Cultivars, Echinopsis chamaecereus cultivar, Pilosocereus pachycladus, Austrocylindropuntia subulata monstrose
Habitat
Desert, Hilly upland habitat, Semi desert
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-13
Not Available
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
Not Available
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
Not Available
Habit
Upright/Erect
Not Available
Flower Color
Yellow
Magenta, Red, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Not Available
Fruit Color
Red, Red orange
Not Available
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Light Green, Orange Red
Several shades of Green
Leaf Shape
Tiny
Globe shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Summer, Late Spring, Summer
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs good drainage, Water less during winter, Water more in summer
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune ocassionally, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Not Available, Red blotch
Aphids, Caterpillars, Cochineal insect, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red spider mite, Rodent, Root rot, Scale, Slugs, Snails, Thripes, Viruses, Worms
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Yes
Flower Petal Number
Not Available
Not Available
Foliage Texture
Bold
Not Available
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Not Available
Attracts
Not Available
Birds
Allergy
Eye irritation, Numb Lips
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Mixed Border, Ornamental use, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Antitumor, Cough, Ear ache
Diabetes, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Branch, Latex, Root
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as firewood, Used as Ornamental plant
Employed in herbal medicine, Fine spines and trichomes are used as fiber for weaving, Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Feature Plant
Botanical Name
EUPHORBIA tirucalli
Cactaceae
Common Name
aveloz, firestick plants, Indian tree spurge, naked lady, pencil tree, pencil cactus, sticks on fire, milk bush, Euphorbia tirucalli
Cactus
In Hindi
Sher-kandvel
Naagaphanee
In German
Bleistiftstrauch
Kaktus
In Spanish
Pencil Plant
El Cactus
In Portuguese
avelós
cacto
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Dicotyledonae
Order
Euphorbiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Euphorbiaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Euphorbia
Not Available
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Euphorbieae
Not Available
Subfamily
Euphorbioideae
Cactoideae, Maihueniodeae, Opuntioideae, Pereskioideae
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Pencil Plant and Cactus
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Pencil Plant and Cactus. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Pencil Plant and Cactus as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Pencil Plant is Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Antitumor, Cough and Ear ache whereas of Cactus is Diabetes and Hangover. Pencil Plant has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Cactus has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Pencil Plant vs Cactus
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Pencil Plant vs Cactus and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Pencil Plant are Eye irritation and Numb Lips whereas of Cactus have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Pencil Plant has no showy fruits and Cactus has no showy fruits. Also Pencil Plant is not flowering and Cactus is flowering. You can compare Pencil Plant and Cactus facts and facts of other plants too.