Knowledgebase
Euphorbia Trigona brown patches #609150
Asked December 28, 2019, 4:08 AM EST
Hi there, my friends gave me this African Milk Tree (euphorbia trigona) and it had some small brown patches that I thought were sunburn bc it was in a window & I had read some about that. My baby has grown about 3x the size it was a little less than 2 years ago. The brown patches haven't taken over, but have spread some and now it looks like spotting is happening in different parts. I really don't want to chop it all apart because it still looks so healthy otherwise. I've read about corking, so it could be that, but I just can't tell. The other side looks great still. Please help if you can! Thank you.
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. These are ‘touchy’ plants. Here is a Q & A about similar issues that may help: https://ask.extension.org/questions/441590
Good luck!
Thanks, I've already read that. Am hoping that someone can tell if it's corking or scale or a fungus or sunburn because I don't want to cut it all down. Cuttings I have taken have rooted & are very healthy so I don't want to chop them up unless I need to. Hoping someone can narrow down the problem. Thanks again for your response. Including an image of another side that shows how healthy, green & leafy they are.
Do you rotate your plant so that all sides get the same amount of light?
There is a variety of E. trigona, E. trigona rubra, that has red stems and leaves: https://apps.cals.arizona.edu/arboretum/taxon.aspx?id=1117 According to this, and several other experts on this plant, the amount of sun exposure may cause a color change, especially in winter. It may be similar to the opposite color change described here: https://laidbackgardener.blog/2018/12/09/when-a-red-euphorbia-turns-green/
