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pencil cactus turning red

pencil cactus turning red Pencil Cactus

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Description

pencil cactus turning red Pencil CactusIntroducing the Pencil Cactus, botanically known as Euphorbia tirucalli Fire Sticks (also called Sticks on Fire), a striking succulent prized for its sea coral like appearance and vibrant, loosely branching pencil thin stems that develop brilliant shades of green, orange, and red. Native to Southern Africa, this unique succulent belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, not the cactus family (Cactaceae), though it is commonly referred to as Pencil

Introducing the Pencil Cactus, botanically known as Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Fire Sticks’ (also called Sticks on Fire), a striking succulent prized for its sea coral-like appearance and vibrant, loosely branching pencil-thin stems that develop brilliant shades of green, orange, and red.

Native to Southern Africa, this unique succulent belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, not the cactus family (Cactaceae), though it is commonly referred to as “Pencil Cactus” because of its cactus-like form and upright growth habit. It is also known by several other common names, including fire sticks plant, sticks on fire succulent, fire plant, red pencil tree, milk bush, and Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Rosea’.


When exposed to direct sunlight, the tips turn red, which is why they are also called firesticks.

This fast growing evergreen succulent can grow up to 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide, forming a thicket of brilliantly colored vertical stems with loose branches.

The unusual stems of this firestick plant, which are as thin as pencils, have a reddish-golden hue that becomes yellow in the summer and red again in the winter.

The pencil cactus flowers boast vibrant yellow, pink, or orange blooms in the summer and spring, making them a true showstopper in any garden.

The pencil cactus is extremely drought tolerant and hard to kill, and as a result, is a great, low-maintenance, easy-care plant for your home or garden.

You can grow your pencil cactus indoors year-round as a houseplant. If planting outdoors, it's best to do so in the spring when temperatures are warm and stable. This cactus grows faster than many other cacti, making it a striking addition to your garden or home.

If you cut your pencil cactus, be careful—the thick, white sap is toxic and can cause skin irritation, burns, or severe eye irritation if it gets into your eyes. While highly irritating, some cultures have historically used it in traditional medicine for treating growths like warts and tumors, though it is not safe for home remedies. Always wear gloves when handling the plant and wash your hands thoroughly if you come into contact with the sap.

When and How to Water Your Pencil Cactus 

This pencil cactus firestick plant can withstand droughts and doesn't need to be watered frequently to survive. Watering these perennial succulents should be done every 3–4 weeks or when the soil feels dry. Let the soil completely dry out between waterings, and if in doubt, give your fire plant a little more time before watering again.  Less water is needed for humid locations and indoor spaces. Pay attention to how the pencil cactus looks and adjust the watering accordingly.

Remember that succulents in the desert can go for weeks or even months without water, so water them sparingly during their rest phase and moderately during their active growing season.

Pro Tip

Most people like to see the red tips that give this Euphorbia tirucalli its firestick name. Note that it is stress that causes the tips to go red. So, the art is to stress the firestick plant a bit, but not too much. So, give it a lot of light and water it less than other succulents, so it is thirsty but not dying of thirst.

Overwatering can also cause the Euphorbia tirucalli 'Firesticks' tips to turn red, but it can also lead to root rot and other problems. So, if your pencil cactus is not turning red in full sun, it's possible that it's not experiencing enough stress to produce the anthocyanin pigments or that it's receiving too much water.

Light Requirements - Where to Place Your Pencil Cactus 

Like most succulents, indoors, the Euphorbia tirucalli firesticks need bright, indirect sunlight to thrive, so choose the brightest area in the house.

Potted indoor pencil cacti require four hours of direct sunlight, which can be achieved by locating them on a sunny south or west-facing windowsill. 

If you are growing these firestick succulents outdoors, make sure that they receive at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.

Partial shade may be tolerated as long as your pencil cactus gets the majority of the sunlight that it needs when it's planted outside. This succulent plant won't thrive if left in the shade for a long time. Its colors become more vibrant the more sunlight it receives.

In order to avoid sunburn, it is preferable to acclimatize your pencil cactus first before moving it outdoors or increasing the amount of sunlight it receives.

Optimal Soil & Fertilizer Needs 

The firestick Euphorbia is a succulent plant that likes very airy, porous, nutrient-rich soil with a pH of 5.5–6.5. Succulents require fast-draining soil that dries completely between waterings. Ideally, you want to use our specialized potting mixGo to soil cactus mix blend 1 gal 4 qt cacti succulent dirt compost growing media that contains 5 natural substrates and organic mycorrhizae to promote the development of a strong root system that helps your Euphorbia firesticks Pencil Cactus to thrive. 

When it comes to fertilizing your pencil cactus plant, it only needs a small amount of fertilizer applied once a year in spring. Cacti prefer a fertilizer with lower doses of NPK, with a maximum ratio of 5-10-5 that is higher in phosphorus than nitrogen.

Hardiness Zones & More 

When growing indoors as a houseplant, the Euphorbia firestick can tolerate temperatures between 65 °F and 75 °F. Your Euphorbia firestick plant performs well in temperatures above 30 °F. However, it can withstand temperatures below that, but only for short periods of time.

In the United States, the Euphorbia tirucalli is mostly an indoor plant, but if you live in southern Florida or Hawaii then you can cultivate it outdoors in USDA zones 10 -11.

Growing these pencil cacti in containers is the best option if you live in an area with harsh winters.

By doing this, you can bring your Pencil Cactus indoors during the winter or any time there's a chance of frost or snow. Normal house humidity is fine for this Euphorbia, but it prefers dry conditions. 

Wildlife - Euphorbia tirucalli Attracts the Following Friendly Pollinators

The Euphorbia tirucalli flowers attract a variety of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, with their bright colors and sweet nectar. These pollinators play a crucial role in the ecosystem by helping to fertilize plants and promote biodiversity.

Butterflies
Bees
Hummingbirds
Lady Bugs
Multi Pollinators
Other Birds

According to ASPCA, the Euphorbia tirucalli 'Firesticks' is mildly toxic to humans and pets. It can irritate the skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract. However, it is safe to touch as long as precautions are taken to avoid contact with the sap. Wear gloves when handling this plant to prevent any potential skin irritation.

How to Propagate Your Pencil Cactus

When it comes to pencil cactus propagation, one common method is through stem cuttings. Simply take a cutting from a healthy pencil cactus, let it dry for a few days, and then place it in well-draining soil. Another method is through division, where you carefully separate the offsets or side shoots from the main plant and plant them individually.

Key Takeaways

  1. The stems of firesticks are as thin as pencils (hence the name) and turn a fire-red in the winter.
  2. Euphorbia Firesticks is a stunning variety that changes color with the seasons, turning bright red or orange tips in cooler temperatures or full sun.
  3. This succulent has a rapid growth rate, reaching up to 30 feet tall when grown outdoors, with a branching, upright form.
  4. During the spring and summer, the yellow flowers bloom in clusters on the end of the branch, usually for just a few days.

The Bottom Line

Overall, the pencil cactus (Euphorbia Firesticks) is a unique and striking succulent plant that adds a touch of elegance to any space. With its slender, pencil-like stems and vibrant green color, this sticks-on-fire cactus can truly be a showstopper. However, it's important to remember that the pencil cactus is not a true cactus but rather a succulent. It requires minimal care, preferring bright light and well-draining soil. By providing proper pencil cactus care, you'll have a beautiful and unique Euphorbia firestick plant that will thrive for years to come. 

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Kim Cabrera
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
All trackers need this book! Worth every penny!
Format: Kindle
This review is for the Kindle edition of this book. Wow. All I can say is wow. The first edition was phenomenal. The second edition, if you can believe it, improves on the first dramatically! I never thought I’d say there could be a better tracking book than the first one. But, here it is. There is no one I know of in the tracking community that is better qualified to write this book than Mark Elbroch and Casey McFarland. The tracking community is small and everyone tends to know everyone else. We all know that these guys are the true experts in this field. This book allows their expertise to shine through on every page. It’s got expanded sections that go into way more depth than the first edition did. There’s a section on runs, one on interpreting prey remains, sign on the ground such as scrapes and beds, and much more. It’s chock full of good solid tracking information. The species accounts have been somewhat condensed, without losing their accuracy or detail. In fact, there is even more detail packed into each one. This was done by combining species that have similar sign, like large, medium and small ground squirrels. Each has its own section with measurements broken down by species within it. The descriptions were combined because of the similarity of the sign found. This allowed the authors to pack even more information into the book, which is awesome! If there are differences, they are pointed out in each account, so it’s super helpful to be able to compare across similar species. The sign chapters have been grouped together so you can compare similar things you find in the field easily. Find a run and want to know what animals could have made it? Go to that section and you have plenty to compare it too. Scratches on a tree? Scratches on the ground? Same thing. Here is a list of the chapters in order: Ch. 1 – Introduction Ch. 2 – Mammal Tracks and Track Patterns Ch. 3 – Runs, Paths, and Eskers Ch. 4 – Scats, Urine, and other Secretions Ch. 5 - Nests, Lodges and Other Constructions Ch. 6 – Sign on the Ground: Beds, Scrapes, Wallows, Digs, Burrows, and Dens Ch. 7 – Sign on Fungi, Herbaceous Plants, and Cacti Ch. 8 – Sign on Trees and Shrubs Ch. 9 – Interpreting Prey Remains Ch. 10 – Species Accounts The Species Accounts are incredibly detailed. Each one includes a drawing of the animal’s feet, and its tracks, and common gaits too. The track illustrations now include arrows pointing to key features of interest, and even lines to help one visualize the orientation of the toes. It’s just like how we use our fingers or nearby sticks in the field to look at these toe orientation features! (Trackers know about this!) Only now it’s in the book to help us see it better. Key features in the drawings are numbered and each number is referred to in the text description. Each species account includes the measurements and the descriptions, but they now also include all the details shown in the chapter headings above. That’s right! Each species account shows you all those details: Run, Paths, Eskers; and Sign on Fungi, Herbaceous Plants; Interpreting Prey Remains; and Scats, etc. etc. (All of those chapter headings are used in the species accounts to provide a very thorough look at the signs left by that animal.) All described right there in the species account! No more flipping through the book for the description of the scat or burrow. It’s described right there. The photos of the signs are grouped together in their respective sections so you can compare them. The detailed descriptions are now found in the species account. I like this arrangement much better. I think it will be even more helpful in the print edition than in the Kindle edition. More on that later. For example, here is an outline of the headings in a typical section of the Species Account chapter. -Tracks and Trails (measurements, images of tracks and gaits, etc.) -Notes -Runs, Paths, and Eskers -Scats, Urine, and other Secretions -Urine and Other Scent-Marking Behaviors -Sign on the Ground: Beds, Scrapes, Wallows, Digs, Burrows, and Dens -Sign on Trees and Shrubs -Interpreting Prey Remains For each species, this outline is customized. For example, some won’t have prey remains, some won’t have sign on grasses etc., some won’t make lodges or other constructions. Nicely organized and easy to use! One helpful thing I noticed in this edition is that some of the track photos are now labeled so you can see which foot is LF, LH, RF, RH. That’s super helpful, especially when you are first learning to tell them apart. The descriptions also help a lot with this. Many of the photos also include rulers or coins in them to provide scale. The other thing that I like is that each animal’s feet are shown in the account so you can see what features of the feet make what features of the track. Super helpful! Gait diagrams have been moved so they are next to each other where you can visually compare them easily. There are also photos of most of the gaits. Most of the journal-type writing and stories in the first edition have been removed to make room for just straight track and sign information. The stories were helpful and interesting, but not as helpful as the detailed accounts in this edition are. There are still some stories, but not as many. The ones used were chosen for their usefulness to describe a concept, it seems. There is a lot more research included in this edition too. There has, of course, been ongoing scientific research into many aspects of biology and tracking. This edition incorporates more of that information into the text. Recent studies are cited and their information included. Also, researchers, biologists, and other scientists are credited as such on the photos they donated to the project, which is nice. They deserve the credit for their work. Some really interesting new photos were included showing cool behaviors or just unique features. I love the photo where an otter rolled and left behind whisker marks! Specific Kindle parts of the review: Drawbacks to Kindle edition: the Kindle edition requires a Kindle and who is going to carry one into the field? Not me. Too much risk of getting it wet or damaged. I prefer a book for the field. (I bought both for this reason.) The Kindle edition loses the formatting that you have on a page. So, references to upper right corner of the page make no sense on a Kindle since all photos are inline and you just scroll to see them. As always with Kindle editions, there are some formatting errors. Pictures not right where the accompanying text indicates, etc. But, that’s a minor issue and users of Kindle are probably used to that in their books. For field guides, it can be annoying though. However, those are formatting issues and really not anything to do with the quality of the writing or the information contained within the book. So, if you can ignore some minor format issues, Kindle is fine. Otherwise, I’d recommend getting the paperback. Well, I recommend getting that either way, but if you want a copy on your Kindle, do like I did and buy one of each! I’ll admit that it’s something only us truly obsessed trackers do, so your mileage may vary. Ha! Good features of Kindle: You can highlight the text in different colors. My copy is already highlighted throughout in yellow, pink, orange and blue. Your highlights and page progress can be synced to the cloud so you don’t lose them. If you ever delete it off your Kindle, you can re-download it and your highlights will be there if you’ve synced it. You are allowed to put it on two different devices, in case you have two Kindles, you know. Or put it on Kindle and your laptop like I did. Sync them and your highlights and page progress are saved to both devices. On Kindle, you can also do keyword searches. So, if you want to look up a species, you can put in the name and find all instances in the book. The bad thing is, you have to spell the name right or search doesn’t work. Kindle also allows you to make your own notes in the text. These are hidden and you have to click to open a little window and read your notes. But it’s a useful feature to have. So, overall, I recommend this book 100% and five stars. Or should I say, five paws! If you are a tracker, biologist, naturalist, or just plain nature nerd, you need this book. Why is it not on your shelf yet? Just kidding. Buy this book. You won’t regret it. If you study it, you will become a better tracker. It’s full of the experience of two of the best trackers around, plus all the contributed experience of the other scientists, researchers, biologists, naturalists and trackers who contributed in the field. Hundreds of years of tracking experience is right here in your hands. It is 680 pages of the best information money can buy. Get it. You will not regret it. No buyer’s remorse here. It’s worth every penny!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2019
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cachkn46
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
A must have for the serious tracker!
Format: Kindle
8/23/19 Edit: Original review based only on Kindle version, but since receiving my paper copy, I've edited it throughout. Overall I am even more enthusiastic about it. I'm a bit of a dinosaur and rarely use Kindle and I found it harder to evaluate the book without paper pages to flip through. This is THE authoritative source for N. American mammal tracks & sign. What makes it (including 1st edn) special: 1. It is organized by type of sign rather than by species (but see below in "What's new"). This is terrific for when you've found some type of sign and can't narrow it down to a few species. Found a scat? Go to the section on scat and learn the appearance of scat left by different species so you can ID yours. 2. It's comprehensive (covers many species) and exacting (detailed measurements, meticulously researched). 3. Photos are large and clear enough to show what they intend to convey. 4. It has illustrations to help you grasp the salient features of tracks, but also photos that help you see how tracks and trails differ in different substrates. What's new in this 2nd edition: 1. There is a final chapter called "Species Accounts" and in each account, there are detailed illustrations of feet, and photos and illustrations of tracks and track patterns. The animal's other types of sign (runs, feeding sign, etc.) are summarized verbally. The photos of those other signs are all in the other relevant chapters, but references to figure numbers are given in the Species Accounts. These Species Accounts are a dramatic improvement over the 1st edn, in which they were part of the Tracks and Trails chapter, and did not usually mention other types of sign created by each animal. The Species Accounts in the 2nd edn make it much easier for the reader to get a coherent picture of each species, so this is a dramatic improvement. Essentially the book is still organized by sign, but the Species Accounts make it far easier to navigate. 2. I mentioned above the detailed illustrations of feet, but this deserves emphasis. These are great; it really helps to be able to correlate the foot anatomy to the the track. 3. It has many new photos, which are extremely clear and illustrate the points beautifully. 4. Range maps have been omitted. This is a negative, and I imagine it was done to save space. 5. The book is, overall, much more appealing to the eye, perhaps because it is better organized. I have to admit I thought the 1st edn was a bit awkward in its organization and I sometimes found it frustrating to flip through in search of something in particular....Not the case at all in the 2nd edn. While the species accounts now include summaries of other types of sign, they still do not provide an image of the animal, physical description, diet, breeding behavior, habitat, etc. This is not a criticism (you can't everything about mammals in one book), it is just to say that this book remains the top reference for the intermediate to advanced tracker, but not the best place for a beginner to start. If you're a beginning tracker and you don't already have a solid knowledge of each animal's appearance, range, and basic ecology, I suggest you first read one of the following, both of which are truly organized by species. 1. Camera Trapping Guide: Tracks, Sign and Behavior of Eastern Wildlife, by Janet Pesaturo -- Less comprehensive track & sign but has photos of each animals, sometimes with the animals in the act of creating the sign. It has range maps and much info on each species' ecology and behavior but not so much that it's overwhelming or unreadable. Focused on eastern US but most species also found in west. Yes, it's technically a camera trapping guide, but it's really about using track & sign knowledge to find animal hot spots (for good camera placement), so it's hugely helpful for trackers. I prefer this over Rezendes's Tracking and the Art of Seeing, which also focuses mostly on the East but has no range maps and has less about ecology and behavior. 2. The Tracker's Field Guide, by James Lowery -- Also less comprehensive than Elbroch's and MacFarland's tome, but for a tracking book it has very nice coverage of pertinent animal ecology. Focused mainly on western US but still useful for eastern US. Has both illustrations and photos, though admittedly some of the photos are a bit small or less than perfectly clear. Still, I consider it the best for the west among species by species tracking guides. If you're a serious tracker of any level, you'll find the 2nd edition of Mammal Tracks & Sign extremely useful. As you learn tracking, it won't be long before you find some kind of sign which you can't narrow down to a couple of species. In that case, a book organized by type of sign makes it quick and easy for you to narrow it down and probably determine exact species. And, there is simply no other tracking guide that's anywhere near as comprehensive as this one. The 1st edition has been one of the most useful books in my extensive natural history library, and I'm delighted to have this updated edition. A must-have for the serious tracker!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2019
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Verified Purchase
Auntie J
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
Tons of info!
Format: Paperback
If one wanted to be a real tracker, this book has everything needed. I just want to be able to recognize the local wildlife tracks. But having all the rest of the info is nice, and it's easy to take what I want. The book is well organized. Fantastic pictures, loads of information. It's interesting too, to see just how much knowledge goes into figuring out not only what animal it is, but what sex, age, gait, etc it is. This is an awesome book.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2025
A
Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Caveats for the professional tracker
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
This is a most excellent resource, arguably the best single tracking book that exists (i would argue so, if i had to pick one! And i recommend this book often). However, if you are in a professional field where this legally matters (EIS or ESA decisions on wolverine/fisher/lynx, etc.), take heed: the authors’ methods of measuring tracks are confusing (i.e. - where is the line between substrate/mammal family to determine when claws or ‘posterior’ pads are or are not used in measuring tracks? ) Also, the claim that “an individual animal can show incredible variation in track size” (p.57) is very misleading… Foot size of an individual animal from birth to adult will obviously change, but will not change in a day for the same-aged individual animal regardless of whether it walks in mud or atop rock. The animal’s foot does not change in size, but its track might appear to. This perceived “change” could be easily avoided by using minimum outline measurements (which are not discussed in this book, but can be found in the work by J. Halfpenny and others). I understand their reasons, but please do not refer to this book for legally defensible measuring techniques of rare species!!!! Also please disregard the negative reviewer who said “it’s a very Mythological Approach to how animals move and walk (jsopel),”- they clearly don’t know what that word means… All in all a well-researched and fantastic book that comes from ample and legitimate experience. A great book and happy tracking!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2021
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Verified Purchase
Naturelover
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
A must have for wildlife lovers
Format: Paperback
Wow! What an excellent and thorough compilation of scat and tracks. Nice reference for when you take pics and bring the image back to the book for comparison. Also, great information about tracking.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2025

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