Pencil Milk Bush (Euphorbia mauritanica): A Fine-Textured Succulent Shrub

Euphorbia mauritanica, the Pencil Milk Bush, is a many-branched, succulent shrub with slender, cylindrical, green stems that resemble a bundle of pencils. Its tiny leaves are deciduous, leaving the photosynthetic stems to create a fine, airy texture. In late winter to spring, the tips are adorned with clusters of small, yellow cyathia (flowers). This South African native is drought-tolerant and adds a unique vertical element to gardens.