A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 firesticks Euphoria Tirucalli -Pencil cactus

It's my lucky day!!! When I moved here from KS 10 yrs ago I brought with me a pencil cactus I had for years.. It was 7'tall and 3 foot wide.. I had to lop the top off to get in the movers truck.. after my second year of being here I lost the entire plant. It just never adjusted to the heat and My apartment at the time was too small to hold it,, sooooooo I'd been on a hunt for one since,, Oh I found them alright but they were priced rediculously high$ ,, I just couldn't do it at time I'd found one,, But TODAY was a different story. I not only found a pencil cactus But as a bonus it was only $3.50 AND.., it is the firestick pencil cactus
Here's hoping I can grow another 7 footer!! Well at least I have room to bring in the house if I have too!

Here's my new baby...

On this pic you can see where some of the limbs are beginning to turn reddish

And this is the green coral cactus ;it really resembles undersea coral pretty coooool!

Oh wow I just found this on a site njoynit referred us too
Check this out what My firestick will look like under the right conditions!!! may be I oughta set it out side in the cooler weather in full sun!


http://www.absolutelycactus.com/euphorbiaspage4.html

Wow, is right! That thing will be gorgeous. I think I can understand why they are called firesticks, now....

Dianna

That is kewl.Now I'd like one of them.The red would be neat-o. I need to win big on the lottery.I could spend it in 'clicks'.

Useing that flashlight looking for bugs huh...lol

The coral one looks fuzzy...its got burrs& needles stuff huh.

Those are sooo cool

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="COMIC SANS MS, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="3" face="COMIC SANS MS, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by njoynit:
<strong> That is kewl.Now I'd like one of them.The red would be neat-o. I need to win big on the lottery.I could spend it in 'clicks'.

Yep on the flashlight use!

me too i love it!

Those are some very cool cacti! Good uys Dianne!!

Those are very cool
that coral one is really, well, real lookin!
Very good buys!

That was a really good deal for plants that unusual and that size.
I love the coral cactus.

I've had a pencil cactus for about 5 years, but it isn't near that size. What did you do to get it that big?!

Hi Jackquie
I bought it at home depot for $3.50 as is!! The last one I had started out this size and got to 7 ft.. every spring I would put it in a bigger pot provided it needed repotting and set it out side,, SOOOO I will do the same with this one (Hopefully) and see what happens,,, the main objective for me now is to see it gets the right growing conditions and sun so it will be as red as the one on the site I posted!!

I have never had mine outside, so I think I will try that this year and see what happens.

Thanks

Since I bought this I placed it in front of the patio door facing south,, on the side closest to the window some of the plant is turely turning a light red Oh mannn I'm soo excited to get it outside this spring!

Diane - you got such terrific deals on those great plants! I love the color the pencil cactus will turn - can't wait to see it, and the coral cactus is too cool!

Many years ago, I took a few small cuttings from a pencil cactus that my dad has growing by some southern windows in their lower level of the house. It is VERY long and spindly there, but has never turned red. My plant has done well in a corner of our family room, but never gets direct sunlight. I'm wondering if I should take some cuttings from it and put it by the SW sliding doors in that room?



Diane - what did you do with your old when when it was 7 feet long? Did you wrap it on a trellis or something similar?

HI Lynne I didn't do anything with the 7 Ft one. It just got taller and taller and wider so I would just keep putting it in a larger pot and put outside in the spring Am sun afternoon dappled shade BUT that was in KS. It grew like a tree. I didn't even have supporting stakes for it, eventually it ended up in a pot that required at least 80 lbs of soil if not more. It took two to lift it to bring it in for the winter. Dang shame I lost it to the heat here .. But the one I used to have was not the firestick,, I'm still looking for the just a pencil cactus.

I would try to start a few and put in direct sunlight and maybe take out in the spring to see if it turns red because you may have the firestick cactus

The one you have one Looks Great,, Boy does that one bring back memories!!