Yippeee Ya Yaaayyyy Mini Saguaro Cactus!

.....actually, its euphorbia leucodendron, discovered and purchased at Target of all places.  But it does look like a grove of mini Saguaro Cacti.  All I need to do now is get myself some of those little cows the size of schnauzers.  UDATE 5/19/09 - Upon further research, I have found that this Euphorbia, also called Yellow Leaf Bush Euphorbia grows to 10 - 13 feet (not so mini after all) and is native to Madagascar.  Since this photo was taken, my specimen has sprouted small yellow flowers on top of each stalk. 

Euphorbia euphoria

This spectacular plant is Euphorbia tirucalli, or pencil bush.  Poinsettias are also a member of the amazingly diverse euphorbia family, though it bears no resemblance to pencil bush whatsoever.  Right now, my pencil bushes are literally glowing with this beautiful red, coral hue.  They normally are dark green.  The Sunset Western Garden Book states pencil bush is best grown in three narrow climate zones - Zones 23, 24 and 13.  23 and 24 are frost-free coastal zones, while 13 is low desert, including Palm Springs.  This winter had brought a few very cold nights here in zone 23, where even puddles of water completely froze over.  Possibly this cold weather is the cause for this beautiful display of color?

Regardless, pencil bush is practically foolproof to grow, requires little water and propagates easily from clippings.  It achieves a unique and sculptural form up to several feet high.  It also performs well and looks great as a centerpiece specimen for a large pot.