Knowledgebase
I think our Candelabra Tree (Euphorbia ingens) is sick. #751832
Asked May 24, 2021, 3:00 PM EDT
Van Buren County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello Brianne,
It would be helpful if you would take two pictures and attach here- one far enough back to see the whole plant, and one close up( about 7-8 inches away) that shows the dying section.
Also, please include a little history- age of plant, when it was last repotted, any fertilizer, how often it is watered, has it recently changed location, is it near any heater or air conditioning vents?
I will watch for your additional info.
Hi Laura,
Thank you for the speedy reply!
I have not worked here too long; however, when I ask people for information on the plant, no one can tell me where he came from, how old he is, or how to take care of him so I am desperately reaching out because I am sure what we are doing is not right. I water him once a month with about ¼ of a pitcher in the fall/winter/spring and then in the summer he gets water every other week. I don’t know if the quantity of water is too much or too little and I don’t know how to feed him or repot him as he is very heavy. When I first started working here about 3 years ago, his top branches were growing sideways into the ceiling where he was at and I advocated for him to move to a space where he could grow freely and not be limited. He has lived in his new location for at least 2.5 years. There is no heat/cooling super close to him. The only other thing I know is that, soon after his move to his new spot, I caught someone emptying their daily water cup into his pot on their way out the door. They usually left after me so I caught this just by accident one day and discovered that this was part of the team member’s daily routine; however, it has been probably 1.5 years since I asked the team member to stop giving the cactus their leftover water. One other thing to note is that there were two other plants in the lobby that did extremely well after a repotting into larger homes but I don’t really know how to replant this massive pokey plant… I just know we aren’t giving him something he needs.
I look forward to your thoughts.
Gratefully,
Brianne Hooper
Front Desk/ Human Resources Coordinator | Human Resources
Vibracoustic USA, Inc. | 400 Aylworth | South Haven, MI 49090| USA | www.vibracoustic.com
Phone +<personal data hidden> | Fax: +<personal data hidden> | <personal data hidden>
From: Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2021 4:00 PM
To: Hooper, Brianne <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: I think our Candelabra Tree (Euphorbia ingens) is sick. (#0021763)
[External]:
Hello
From the photos it does appear as though the issue is occurring at the top of the plant where there is access to it by the stairs. I can see that the soil is quite dry, and there appears to be no tissue death near the soil. So, I can only guess that the top plant tissue was injured by something. It does look like cold damage, so if something cold could have gotten onto the top portion of the plant by some means?
If you can use a clean, and sterile knife to remove this dying tissue this may be helpful. This tissue will not come back; the brown/black tissue is dead. Make sure you sterilize the knife with a 10% bleach solution in between each cut just in case there is anything you may spread. Wearing gloves is helpful and wrapping the dead tissue in newspaper will help you from getting spines in you. I would suggest you make a sign or watch the cactus more closely if this is possible.
I wouldn't suggest you transplant until you can see that healthy tissue is forming and this 'mystery' is solved.
Hi! Thank you for the information!
I attached a photo of the base- what you could see in the photo was actually a layer of rocks but I dug down to feel that the dirt is rather dry- what should the consistency of the dirt be? Or maybe do you have any tips on how much water the plant should receive and how often? I would like to put it on a schedule to see if consistent water would help him to feel better.
I was under the impression that the sap from this plant is poisonous- are there extra precautions that we should take? Could the signs we are seeing come from a lack of water?
I appreciate your help!
Gratefully,
Brianne Hooper
Front Desk/ Human Resources Coordinator | Human Resources
Vibracoustic USA, Inc. | 400 Aylworth | South Haven, MI 49090| USA | www.vibracoustic.com
Phone +<personal data hidden> | Fax: +<personal data hidden> | <personal data hidden>
From: Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 6:11 PM
To: Hooper, Brianne <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: I think our Candelabra Tree (Euphorbia ingens) is sick. (#0021763)
[External]:
The soil looks dark so it might still have some moisture in it. I'm wondering if the container has drainage holes at the bottom? There is no saucer and I see a hole further up, but the container needs to have holes on the bottom where the water can drain out of. I'm wondering if the roots are rotten, i.e. brown, in the pot? If you can carefully lay the plant down and tip it out of its container, this would be a first step. Yes, you will need to be careful to not get the sap on your skin and especially in your eyes. Lay some newspaper on the carpet and gently tip it out of its pot to see the roots. Do this before watering it as this may be the cause. Take a photo of the roots and send to me.
