Euphorbiaceae

Broad, lobed leaves in combinations of green, yellow, orange, and red. The most widely available Croton. In good light the color combinations are genuinely extraordinary. No other common houseplant approaches the same multicolor intensity. Sensitive to cold and drafts. Temperature drops below 15°C cause rapid leaf drop. Once chosen, a position should be permanent.

Narrow, twisted, curling leaves in deep red and green with yellow veining. The twisted leaf form is the distinguishing characteristic, more architectural than the flat-leaved forms. Same care requirements as Petra. The curl is most pronounced in good light.

Narrow, star-shaped leaves with yellow spotting on a green ground. More delicate in appearance than the broad-leaved forms. The narrow leaf form gives it a different character, finer and more graceful than Petra. Same care requirements. The yellow spotting requires bright light to remain vivid.

Three or four-angled stems with small leaves along the ridges and paired spines. One of the fastest-growing succulent Euphorbia for indoor use. Upright and branching, with a columnar form that develops genuine architectural presence over time. It can reach 1.5m+ indoors over several years with adequate light. The white latex sap is released when any stem is broken or cut.

Red or purple-tinged form of trigona. Color is most intense in maximum direct indoor light. In lower light it reverts toward the standard green. Care is identical to standard trigona in every respect. The color makes it one of the most visually distinctive columnar succulents available.

Heavily spined succulent shrub with small, bright flowers (actually bracts) in red, pink, orange, yellow, and white in modern cultivars. Blooms nearly year-round with adequate light. One of the most reliably and continuously flowering indoor plants available. The spines are long and sharp throughout the woody stems — handle with gloves. Despite the fearsome appearance, the flowering habit makes it extremely rewarding in a bright position.

Cylindrical, pencil-like green stems without leaves. One of the most minimalist architectural plants available. The bare, branching stems in their orange-red form ('Sticks on Fire') are striking. Fast-growing in good conditions. The latex is particularly caustic — one of the most irritating Euphorbia to handle. Gloves and eye protection are not optional when pruning this plant. The Firestick form has orange and red tips that intensify in bright light and cool temperatures.

Perfectly spherical, ribbed, grey-green succulent body without spines. One of the most geometrically unusual plants in cultivation — the precision of the sphere is striking. Slow-growing. Native to a very restricted area of South Africa and listed as vulnerable in the wild due to historic over-collection. Purchase only certified nursery-grown specimens — never wild-collected. Produces inconspicuous flowers from the apex. Dioecious — male and female flowers on separate plants.

White-variegated, fan-branching stems. One of the most striking succulent Euphorbia for architectural effect. The pale, almost bleached appearance is genuinely unlike most other plants. The white coloration is from a lack of chlorophyll — the plant is grafted onto a green-stemmed rootstock (usually E. neriifolia) to survive. The white grafted portion is the ornamental part; the green base is the functional root system. If the rootstock fails or outgrows the graft, the white portion cannot survive independently.

A central green caudex surrounded by numerous snake-like, elongated arms radiating outward. The form is genuinely unlike any other common succulent — the radiating arms from a central body create the Medusa's head resemblance that gives it its name. Slow-growing. Small and compact relative to its visual impact. Grows from a caudex that stores water. Care as per other succulent Euphorbia — very dry, very bright.

Large, four-angled columns with cream and green variegation. One of the most dramatic large-scale succulent Euphorbia for indoor growing. Slow-growing but architecturally impressive at scale. Suited to conservatories and large, bright indoor spaces. The variegated form is more commonly sold for indoor use than the plain green species. Requires the same latex sap precautions as all Euphorbia.