How to Encourage Euphorbia Trigona Branching

Many of you may have purchased your Euphorbia Trigona as a single stalk, just like me. They grow pretty rapidly, which is a plus. Sometimes they keep growing as a single column rather than branching out, but most of us desire that look of a well-branch Euphorbia Trigona. If you're wondering, why isn't my Euphorbia Trigona branching, then read on. I'll also tell you how to encourage branching.

Why isn't your Euphorbia Trigona Branching?

What may be the reason that your Euphorbia Trigona is not branching? Typically it's suboptimal care. Euphorbia Trigona can grow and tolerate a fairly wide range of environments, but will not flourish unless they are in very good conditions. See the table below for general guidelines.

Another consideration is maturity. Typically Euphorbia Trigonas, especially ones grown indoors, do not branch until they are a little more mature. And by mature I'm only really talking about maybe a foot and half tall.

Light Requirements

Insufficient light is generally the most likely reason that your Euphorbia Trigona is not branching. Many homes just do not have adequate light coming in from windows to grow a Euphorbia Trigona well. They require about six to eight hours of bright direct light which you will find in a south or west-facing window. It should also be right up next to the window not feet away, and not obstructed in any way. This is tough for a lot of households. If you're unsure if you're getting enough light for your Euphorbia Trigona, I recommend this smart plant monitor, which tracks light, moisture, and fertility. I have a write-up on using to measure light. If you're not getting enough light, consider a grow light as a supplement.

Water Requirements

The water requirements are pretty straightforward. Water your Euphorbia Trigona when the soil has dried completely since the last time you watered. Euphorbia Trigonas are succulents and they store water within so it's okay for the soil to dry out. One thing you might notice when water, is how long it takes for your pot to dry out. If it dries out quickly or water runs through it, then you might need to repot. Repotting your Euphorbia Trigona can breathe new life into your plant and sometimes encourage branching if your plant needed more room for the roots to grow. For more tips on repotting a Euphorbia Trigona, check out my repotting post.

Fertilizer Requirements

This is probably the least likely reason for your Euphorbia Trigona not branching, but it's still possible. These plants are not heavy feeders despite how quickly they grow. Fertilize once a month or every two weeks and not any more often. Only fertilize during the growing season, and not at all when it's dormant for the winter. Be sure to follow the instructions on your fertilizer regarding dosage and dilution(if necessary). Interestingly an over-fertilized plant will often stall growth, so don't make the mistake of using more fertilizer if your plant isn't growing. Use soil rapitests to get an accurate read of each of the three main nutrients in plant fertilizer.

How to Encourage Euphorbia Trigona Branching

Aside from top-notch care, your can encourage your Euphorbia Trigona to branch out by pruning it. And while the act of pruning itself is pretty straightforward, it's still a major event. You most definitely need leather or rubber-coated gloves and long sleeves while you're at it. Euphorbia Trigona sap is a harsh skin irritant. I've encountered it myself before and it feels like a burn and lasts several days. I do not recommend it. The sap drips pretty aggressively as well because as a succulent it's holding a lot of moisture.

You'll also need a pair of sharp sterile pruning shears. You can also use a knife, but I personally find the stalks to be pretty difficult to cut through with a knife. You can get through the skin pretty easily, but then there's a tougher section in the middle that's really dense. If you're trying to saw through that with a knife the sap goes everywhere.

Finally, on to the actual pruning. Choose your pruning spot based on where you want your Euphorbia Trigona to start branching. Generally, new branches occur just below the pruned section. Branch may also occur lower on the stalk as well too. See the picture below for an example from a pruning I did a while back. The pruned section callouses off and then shortly after branching will occur. In this example, four new branches emerged just below the pruned spot. One other consideration is that it is best to prune in spring right before the growing season. You don't want to prune in the fall when your Euphorbia is about o go dormant, because the new branches may not grow well.

If you think your Euphorbia Trignoa is too tall you may choose to cut the very tall stalk into several segments. You can do this because Euphorbia Trigonas are easy to propagate. One pro-tip from me if you are doing this is to make sure you know which side is up if you are cutting a single stalk into multiple segments. Roots will only grow from the bottom.