Though this plant looks like a cactus complete with spines, it is actually a succulent that is very easy to grow - just break off a piece at a suitable spot and plant in a pot or in the ground. Water occasionally until it has caught and voila, you have a nice healthy plant that will grow into the size of a small tree if allowed.
The one shown here is growing in a pot in my front yard, and it obviously likes the location as it flowers regularly, and I have had to cut it back several times over the past few years. The sap of Euphorbia is milky and yes, this too will blister your skin if not washed off properly.
The flowers are little red pyramid-shaped flowers that eventually dry up and burst open to release the spores into the wind - I regularly pull up seedlings as I do my weekly weeding. When the flower buds first emerge they are a very pale yellow-green colour that turn red as they mature.
The plant will be absolutely covered in flowers that are very attractive to bees and flies, and you can hear the buzzing from quite a distance as they feed on the nectar, mostly in the early morning.
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