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ROC #343460

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succulentPool Friendly

Candelilla

Name: Candelilla
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Euphorbia antisyphilitica

A waxy-stemmed Chihuahuan native with delicate pink-white blooms, historically harvested for its natural candle wax.

Frost sensitive, hardy to about 28°F, USDA 9-11; a warm-desert Chihuahuan native.

AMWUA Notes

Sap is a skin irritant.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Needs very little water; monthly in summer at most and none in winter. It rots in wet soil.

✂️Pruning

Minimal; remove dead or frost-damaged stems, wearing gloves against the irritating sap.

🌱Fertilizing

Not necessary.

🛡️Pests

Trouble-free; the milky sap deters most pests.

☀️Seasonal Notes

Frost-tender below 28°F; the waxy stems help it endure intense heat and drought.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Sharp-draining decomposed granite or gritty mineral soil; lean

💧Drainage

Needs sharp, fast-draining soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

None — thrives in lean desert soil without fertilizer.

🌰Propagation

Division of the clump or cuttings (let the sap callus first)

📐Spacing

4 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Shallow, non-invasive roots; keep the irritating sap off skin

Placement Tips

•Use in rock gardens, containers or borders where the slender waxy stems form a clump.
•Keep the sap off skin.
•Plant in sharp-draining granite.
•Allow for the 4 ft spread.

Features

Slender waxy stemsPink-white bloomsContainer-friendlyHistoric wax source

Best Uses

ContainerRock gardenBorder

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Quick Stats

Water NeedsVery Low (Xeric)

Sun Exposurefull sun

Mature Size1.5 ft H × 4 ft W

Growth Rateslow

Maintenancelow

HardinessUSDA 9-11

FoliageEvergreen

Drainagesharp, fast-draining

Bloom SeasonSpring-summer

Bloom ColorPink/white

Litter Levellow

ThornsNone

Native RegionChihuahuan Desert

Design Styles

desert modernnative habitat

Include in Your Project

Love Candelilla? Our landscape team sources from wholesale nurseries and can incorporate it into your design.

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Use this care guide to maintain your Candelilla. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.

Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.