Our garden

Bonsai, garden trees, houseplants and the odd volunteer seedling.

This is our little online catalogue of everything growing in our garden, made for friends and family. It's a work in progress, and there's always something new going in.

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Dangerous John
View 1, 25 Sept 2026

Dangerous John

Euphorbia trigona 'Rubra'

Upright, multi-branched succulent euphorbia with three-sided stems, small spines and red-purple leaves. The 'Rubra' form.

The milky sap is an irritant, so wear gloves and keep it away from eyes when handling or cutting.

Common name
African milk tree
Section
Houseplants
Spot
Indoors
Soil
Mixed compost
Options
Potential

A sculptural indoor pot specimen, with upright branching stems rather than a conventional miniature-tree form.

From
A big chain garden centre, Apr 2026
Age
About 3 years
Next repot
Around Apr 2028
Edible
❌ No: The milky sap is toxic and irritating. The name is a clue.
Hardy
❌ No: indoors all winter
Garden-centre price
about £15
Did you know?

Not a cactus at all, but a euphorbia that evolved to look like one, with a milky sap that's best kept off skin.

RHS guide

Care & updates

Next root check
Apr 2027
What to expect
Slow growers: a few new leaves or pups a year, most of it in spring and summer.
Feeding
Every 42 days, Apr–Aug, with Cactus & succulent feed
  1. Observation

    Healthy, branching well with lots of red-purple leaves along the ridges.

🎮
Mega Drive moment Sunset Riders (Mega Drive)

Wild West shootouts among the desert cacti.

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