Cactus Euphorbia Ingens (Cowboy cactus) M

Euphorbia Ingens

Origin and care

The family name of the Euphorbia Ingens is Euphorbiaceae and the plant is originally from South Africa. The Euphorbia requires a lot of sunlight. Keep the plant dry, only water in the growing season. You can leave it dry for a few days between the irrigation cycles. In winter one or two weeks.

It is wrongly thought that this euphorbia (Succulent plant) is a cactus.

The big difference with a cactus is in the juice inside the plant. Cacti, which live in a dry climate, have a reservoir inside to store moisture in periods of extreme drought. In the case of cacti, that moisture consists of water, whereas in the Euphorbia ingens there is a milky fluid called spurge.
The Euphorbia ingen is originally an African plant while cacti grow in America.
The thorns grow directly from the leaf. In cacti the spines grow on a kind of pillow-shaped nodule or leaf cushion (areool).

If the plant becomes too large, you can cut off part of the stem with a sharp knife. You can replant the cut part in warm moist soil. In this way they can make roots again. Before placing in the earth, let it dry for a few days.

The Euphorbia Ingens is also called a cowboy cactus.