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Euphorbia umbellata
Ideally placed in partial shade, but can tolerate a sunny site.
Water as a classic houseplant, i.e. regularly. It likes moisture and does not need to worry about waterlogging as much as other succulents.
The plant is not hardy and likes room temperatures.
This plant is popularly referred to as African Milk Bush. This name probably referred in the past to the sticky rubber-like latex used to make rubber.
Euphorbia umbellata is often referred to by its older name Synadenium grantii. However, it is also known as African Milk Bush. It is mainly native to the Zambezi River valley in Malawi, Western Kenya and Uganda. But over time it has spread to other tropical and subtropical countries. It grows on rocky, mostly granite, slopes, in forests or near rivers at altitudes between 500 and 2 100 m above sea level. Healers of some countries use the gum tree in their healing methods. They use it, for example, to burn warts, to fight syphilis, abscesses or intestinal parasites. In Rwanda, they use latex as part of arrow poison.
The large and fleshy leaves turn shades of green ranging from dark to bright. The beautifully visible veining of the darker greens makes for an interesting detail on the leaves. The semi-succulent shrub branches profusely and can grow into a small tree. In the wild it can reach a height of 3.5 m.
Small flowers in the form of cyathia appear in winter or early spring. They are usually inconspicuous and can be either asexual or purely male.
It can be fertilized and prefers a moist substrate. When disturbed, white latex sap oozes out with mildly toxic effects. It is not a violent poison, but it is not advisable to consume the plant in any way. If skin contact occurs, wash the site with water. The very hardy plant is an ideal choice for sunny terraces, for example.