Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_euphorbia_tirucalli
Pencil tree
Euphorbia tirucalli
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About Pencil tree
Pencil tree (Euphorbia tirucalli) is an introduced tree treated as naturalized on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Current extent is unassessed. A dry-country African species now cultivated and naturalized through much of the tropics and subtropics, often from readily rooted cuttings and living fences.
Kauaʻi evidence
Taxonomic identity, tree form, diagnostic morphology and island occurrence use the linked reviewed sources. Historical planting, cultivation, naturalization and invasive status are separate. Generated imagery is not occurrence evidence.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Euphorbia tirucalli
- Common names
- Pencil tree · pencil plant · milkbush · tirucalli
- Other names
- Euphorbia tirucalli · pencil tree · pencil plant · milkbush · tirucalli · Arthrothamnus tirucalli · Tirucalia tirucalli · Tirucalia indica
- Record type
- Species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Recorded on Kauaʻi
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not yet assessed
- Evidence date
- 2026-10-05
- Evidence limits
- Current extent is unassessed; public locality is island level only.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Not yet assessed
- Food and resource needs
- Not yet assessed
- Reproduction
- Not yet assessed
- Shelter
- Not yet assessed
- Growth form
- confirmed tree scope
Threats and conservation
- Monitoring
- Not yet assessed
- Data gaps
- Current population extent and trajectory · Additional species-specific ecological and conservation sources
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Not yet assessed
- Seasonal description
- Pencil tree (Euphorbia tirucalli) is an introduced tree treated as naturalized on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Current extent is unassessed. A dry-country African species now cultivated and naturalized through much of the tropics and subtropics, often from readily rooted cuttings and living fences.
Sources and further reading
- https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/publications/pdf/tr75.pdf
- https://editedimages.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Imadaetal.2025Hawaiianvascularplants.xlsx
- https://doi.org/10.5479/si.32124043
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:348517-1
- https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000965116
- https://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242321544
- https://biodiversityadvisor.sanbi.org/search/detail/36a64cd5-1be7-4d13-988f-31daf972bd9a
- https://plantsofhawaii.org/detail/%7BA67562A8-0FCC-46ED-8162-77CB75CC4584%7D