Euphorbia tetragona aka Euphorbia Tetragona

Euphorbia tetragona is a tree known as naboom. It stays green year-round and is a succulent. It belongs to the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. Kew places its home range in eastern South Africa. It runs from the Eastern Cape to southern KwaZulu-Natal. Kew also links this plant to a subtropical climate. Plants For A Future gives its height as 33 feet [10 metres]. It does not say whether this means garden or wild growth. It gives no spread or close account of the leaves.

The flowers make nectar, which has some recorded food uses. Plants For A Future says people sometimes put it in sweets. This use concerns nectar, not the plant’s other parts. The flowers have both male and female organs. When ripe, the seed capsules burst and spread their seeds. The sources do not state when the plant blooms. They give no flower colour, either. Their account of the fruit covers only these capsules.

Plants For A Future favours light loam that drains well. It calls for soil of medium richness and an open site. The plant can grow in sun or part shade. Suggested sites include sunny woodland edges and shade broken by sunlight. It grows in dry soil but accepts moist soil too. The listed soil types are sand, loam, and clay. The listed pH range goes from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. The soil must still drain well.

Claims about cold need care, as the source conflicts with itself. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 6–9. Yet it doubts a claim that the plant survives 14°F [−10°C]. It warns that this species may not stand frost. These claims do not give a firm limit for cold. Its seed advice says to sow in spring under greenhouse shade. Young plants should spend their first winter in the greenhouse. It says to plant out once the risk of frost has passed.

The latex, or sap, is unsafe to handle or swallow. It is toxic when swallowed and can severely irritate skin. Sunlight may make the skin’s reaction worse. Sap in eyes or cuts can cause severe inflammation. Dry plant matter can still be toxic. The source warns against repeated sap contact over a long time. These risks remain despite the reported use of nectar. A vague record of medicinal use names no treatment or effect. It gives no grounds to use the plant as home medicine.