Scientific: Euphorbia antisyphilitica (Synonyms: Euphorbia cerifera, Euphorbia occulta, Tirucalia antisyphilitica)
Common: Candelilla
Family: Euphorbiaceae (poinsettia family)
Origin: Chihuahuan Desert from west Texas south into Mexico
(Durango, Chihuahua and Coahuila).
Pronounciation: U-FOR-bee-a an-ti-se-fi-li-TI-ca
Hardiness zones
Sunset 11-13
USDA 8-11
Landscape Use: Excellent accent plant for small desert, rock and succulent gardens, narrow planters.
Form & Character: Densely upright, erect, stiff, and formal, with a hint of free-spiritedness.
Growth Habit: Herbaceous perennial that profusely clumps. Rarely taller than 30 inches in height.
Foliage/Texture: Generally leafless, stems pencil thick, grayish green, stiff and branched; medium texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Striking small terminal flowers that have a pinkish-red center becoming cream on the fringe. Seasonal Color: Flowers profusely in spring and early summer.
Temperature: Tolerant of Phoenix conditions.
Light: Full sun to partial shade.
Soil: Very heat tolerant, hardy to 28oF.
Watering: Irrigate only infrequently to keep plants healthy. Overwatering will stimulate the rank over-extension of stems giving candelilla that 'unkempt' look.
Pruning: Not necessary, except to divide clumps every 3 to 5 years. Not surprisingly though the industrious 'Horticultural clods of Phoenix' (aka 'Hort clods') will shear candelilla too. Please don't ask me why they do this. Makes no sense to me.
Propagation: Seed, division and separation of clumps.
Disease and Pests: None.
Additional comments: Candelilla is a small perennial that arguably deserves greater attention for use in small, narrow landscape planter spaces. Plants in the genus Euphorbia produce white milky latex that is a skin irritant to some people - so wear gloves when handling alot. .
Real industrial ethnobotany: A natural wax is derived from the leaves of the candelilla through a traditional process involving boiling the leaves and stems with dilute sulfuric acid, resulting in a 'cerote' that is skimmed from the surface and further processed. The wax is harvested for a multitude of uses from commercial plantings of candelilla in Mexico.
Taxonomic mindstream mixed with mythical ethnobotany: The species names comes from the folk lore that the plant is effective for treatment of venereal disease. The common name means 'little candle', referring to the appearance of the stems.