I trimmed out a few 4 foot branches with a hand saw last week. I wore a long sleeved shirt, gloves, a hat, and goggles. No problems whatsoever.

Use Nitrile gloves, NOT latex! This is the very substance that is in euphorbia plants, and if you are allergic to latex, the gloves can cause a terrible reaction. This is why Nitrile gloves are now available. Some people are allergic, and some are not. It's as simple as that.

Oops,I should qualify about kids toys. I meant from the 50's and 60's. I guess nowadays there are no Chemistry sets with real radioactive bits in them!

"Super dangerous" is a bit of an overstatement. Any euhorbia sap has the potential for a reaction to those who are sensitive to it, not just the pencil cactus. You could just as easily get a similar reaction from your Christmas poinsettia! As is the case with a great number of other common plants, both weeds and ornamentals. But sensitivity will vary widely. I have worked with many different types of euphorbs over a lifelong career in gardening and have never once been affected by them.

Some plants are just dangerous with regards to toxicity, phytodermatitis or with respect to other plants. It is how they have adapted to survive. If you have issues with this, then just avoid them but don't try to ban them or prevent their sale.

This thread came back to life again, and the dreaded pencil cactus must still be out there killing people...

Yeah. Its trained in the deadly arts of nijutsu, viper kung fu, turkish slapping and capoeira......

Last time i checked.. saguaro has still a higher kill count than this thing..

I wish they would kill gophers.

l just had a similar experience. Moved into a rental with a HUGE pencil cactus (tree) in middle of backyard. It’s spring so I’m tending yard and wanted to trim bottom 10 feet. I wound up with incredible pain in eyes. Burns on skin and eyes. It’s no joke. I’m with you... it should be outlawed. Also poisonous to pets it turns out. I feel poisoned. Even today running to restroom etc... if you have one of these plants either be hyper vigilant especially around kids & pets or get rid of it. It’s a terrible risk.

Anyone on this thread making light of the potential for serious injury from this plant, your either a pure moron arguing for the sake of arguing or you have never experienced the pain & injury. It’s not poisonous to SOME it’s ALL. Stop being stupid. It’s a dumb risk to take just to have this plant. Ughhhhh trolls.

I am sorry that this happened to you. It does sound really bad and I hope that there was no permanent damage. I would tell your landlord to warn any future residents of the danger. It was an oversight of his that he did not give you a warning.

That said I am of the feeling that our world is full of dangers . No one promised me a rose garden and even they come with thorns. I have seen Puma tracks on my land : rattlesnakes; cotton mouths; copperheads under my porch and under rocks: kissing bugs that carry Chagra disease in my shop sink: Stuff happens. Be educated about the animals and plants in your environment. I weed my poison ivy carefully. I lived with this monster plant in my yard for 15 years and never hurt myself. I would get rid of a large tree of it if I were a landlord because I would not want to make myself vulnerable to legal action from the first ignorant person to take a saw to me without proper protection.

This thread refuses to die . It did have a 8 month rest.

'Your either a pure moron'.

Aside from the spelling mistake, you're wrong. I'm impure.

And I love it when, as Mara pointed out, that this thread refuses to die because someone with an ax to grind about it needs to educate us, yet again, about the danger of this plant and chastises those of us who the poster feels needs it. Pure succulent / comedy gold.

Yes, it's pure succulent / comedy gold. I have the solution to this thorny problem about cacti that's needling so many people! Landscape with the following plants: the everblooming Plasticus japonicas or the perennial Polyethylene chinensis. There's also a lovely ground cover that was first discovered in Texas, Nylonensis astroturf. These plants have no sap and they don't even need water or fertilizer!

The other day I discovered that the cactus & succulent forum is really a design and decorating forum and not a plant forum, and now I find out that I'm a moronic troll. Been a good week.

Does it come variegated??

STL; Hows the view from under your bridge? Its darn wet and buggy under mine. The fire ants are eating me up. % the cactus thorns: sheesh. I would really like a vacation somewhere else.

I understand the pain and suffering that someone can go thru and turn angry towards others who still like those plants. But that's what free choice is all about. If my neighbor started to plant and grow poison ivy, then I would object.

Poisonous Rhododendron all around my bridge and a nice bed of Euphorbia cyparissias to lie in, but the poke weed hasn't started growing yet. Plenty of ticks around to suck my blood. Life is good.

Stush, maybe your neighbor will plant variegated poison ivy :-)

At least it would be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, no?

I always said if poison ivy was variegate I would be itching allot.

While visiting Andros and walking in the bush we found a tree with a sign that said " don't sleep under this apple tree.... you will die. They did not cut the tree down.

Poison Apple or Manchineel Tree

They say not to breathe the air around it . There is a Myth goes in Andros that a British patrol died sleeping under one during a mid day nap.

Did you know that the Euphorbia with the most dangerous sap is the poinsettia? I did not know. I had a huge bush if that in Hawaii too.

There were a lot of woods and wild plants around the house I grew up in. Right from the start my father taught me what ones to avoid. There are so many poisonous plants, both wild and cultivated, in our surroundings. It's impractical and unnecessary to remove them all. When you want to prune or remove a plant you don't know, it's always a good idea to investigate just what that plant is before you start hacking away at it.

Common, and widely grown oleander plant is very poisonous too...and many, many other plants are. One should never assume that because plant is "there", it is completely safe. Totally agree with statement above...and perhaps it would be good idea to check with a landlord if it is ok to chop his/her plant down??? Perhaps there would be a warning...

Many ppl get dermatitis even from tomato plants...

When I was 11 years old when my family bought their first house after living in a project manor, there was a lot of poison ivy growing in the front yard hedges. I cut them with a pair of old heavy scissors and during the hot summer, needless to say, it almost killed me. I wish I was dead to stop the pain. No AC back then. I remember sitting on our porch hardly able to open my eyes due to swelling and sweating and hurting badly. So in that regard I do feel for that person, but name calling is just not acceptable here or anywhere.

This no joking matter be very careful when handling this plant my cousin ended up in ER for treatment on his eyes some of the sap fell in his eyes when trimming it .He got to ER they had to call poisen control to ask how to treat his eyes .he's back home but in slot of pain .his eyes feel like having chili in the eyes .so be very careful when handling this plant Pencil cactus.

I got some in my eye as well. Not the pencil cactus but it's hardy cousin some euphorbia weed in my yard. Cut it down and cleaned out area and went in to wash my hands. I guess I didn't do a good enough job. Wiped my eyes a bit latter and had a sever burning. Jumped in shower and flushed eyes out with shampoo. Did the trick. Can't imagine being hit full strength.

If it should happen to anyone, go ASAP to the shower. Wash eyes out with plenty of water. Don't waist time going anywhere else. Every second is important. After wards you could go to the hospital to have it further checked out.

My neighbors pencil cactus was growing up against my fence causing it to buckle and loosen. I asked my elderly neighbor if I could cut it down . Wither minutes my arms, legs and face were on fire. It was quite big and took me over an hour and a half to finish the job , but within an hour or so my body felt like I walked into a burning building. I immediately researched, The websites told me to buy Benydral cream which I did which did nothing. I had to go to hospital which I did. I. Was given two shots of cortico steroids which helped the severe burning. I went home and woke up 7 hours later with severe muscle pain on my limbs. Problem is now I have to cut apart this downed tree into sections so I can put it in the recycle trash bins. This was in ft Lauderdale, Florida. No joke people. It is toxic poison maybe for some. and I was one of them.

What works for me is warm shower using Head'n Shoulders shampoo as a body wash. If bad enough, then lather up, let set for 10 minuets and rinse. Works for poison ivy as well. I have tried too many fake cures but this one works. The lanolin works on removing the oils and it has the anti-itch for the pain.

I wonder if it is more toxic in warmer areas where it can get huge. Or if the hugeness makes the sap get everywhere because it is above you. I only have pot grown ones now. My mom in Hawaii had a huge one that she never complained about but it was not against a fence so I do not know if she ever trimmed it.

My guess would be it is more toxic in warmer climates and well grown. My pot ones never brother me but a wild hardy growing outside one did. Even after washing my hands.

A reminder that if you are pruning one outdoors...a hose with spray will stop the latex flowing and wash off what might stain on the plant or rocks,cement whatever is near its drip.

I've found that it also will stop Ficus bleeding from pruning too.

Stanofh, Very good advise. I know this but forget about it often. Thank you.

I don't know why people are jumping on his back. He is only warning everyone. I guess maybe you would complain if a school banned peanut butter too.

I think that the whole of Gardenweb had ossified and this thread would just keep ticking away.

This one,the Cactus or Cacti or the one I think is the worst, "Can I prune a palm and have that root?" The last is so basic..and its another 100+ comment topic. The answer is no,unless its a Chamaedorea with roots at the nodes.

But in a world where this year is so different from the last, I can escape to Gardenweb where nothing has changed :-)

Nope. GW Still works fine on Windows 95!

I have a huge one and after feeling some burning on my lips clipping & pruning some branches off, sought to search info about this plant. Thanking you for the advice. Getting rid of it immediately!!!☹️

I feel the same way about poison ivy growing in my yard.

I can't believe this thread is still active. That pencil cactus must've killed a few million people by now

I was removing the same catus and it broke up as I was removing it. Then I picked it up and threw it in the back of my friend's truck and the sap was in my hair as I sweated it ran into my eyes and I instantly realized that it was burning then a minute later it was so bad that I couldn't take the pain I kept closing and opening my eyes to try to make it feel better but it was getting worse and worse for hours it was the worse pain I have ever indored I wouldn't wish that on anyone and now I am still having problems with my eyes it is starting to make me feel like I'm going blind and I don't know what to do your post is definitely not a joke and I feel your pain anyone else that comes in contact with the pencil catus please don't hesitate to take the time to protect your self from the danger of the catus thank you and take care

Kasey, I feel for you. Not only the Pencil Cactus but other euphorbia as well. All produce that toxic sap but some are more damaging then others.

Real shame you couldn't get to water to flush out your eyes. They are know to damage the eyes. I hope they heal up soon.

So many plants have dangerous sap, either from latex or other irritating substances. A similar discussion that could help someone else avoid a miserable rash or worse:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1489753/mystery-poison-ivy-contact-dermatitis-rash-from-house-plants#n=26

Really,If you took a Dieffenbachia and snapped a thick trunk so the sap sprayed into your eyes that would hurt too.

So,don't do that. Or eat 20 or 30 Apricot pits. Then you get cyanide poisoning.

Yes, too many to list over again here. An enormous collection of them is in the other discussion. If one is interested in propagating houseplants, or has landscape plants that require trimming, it can be very valuable info for those who happen to be sensitive and don't want a poison ivy-like rash, or the worse eye thing.

Here I am to keep the thread alive! First, thank you to all who've posted because while I did know the pencil cactus was poisonous, I didn't realize just how dangerous it could be if the sap got into my eyes. That said, I just purchased a large pencil cactus today that needs to be repotted. I don't have any pets or kids, so no concerns there, and I've already warned my husband. I'll definitely be wearing disposable gloves and protective eyewear just in case.

@ Kevin Dondrea Also, peanut butter has been banned in plenty of schools... I don't know if you were being sarcastic?

@ Larry WestCoast, You really had me going with that astroturf bit :D

All in all, a good reminder to be vigilant with the plants around us. I'm a plant enthusiast, and even I sometimes forget to pay attention to the potential threats and dangers of different species. I'm obviously not eating any unidentified plants, but from now on I'll be more vigilant about wearing gloves and immediately washing my hands after yard work too.

Agreed. It's always great to avoid misery.

Hmmmm. My yard is FULL of mature, tree sized pencil plant euphorbia tirucalli. I know the sap is toxic and have been burned several times but after 30 years I'm just cautious. Neither my 8 year old daughter nor my cat has been harmed. On the positive side, these have a pleasing sculptural quality AND performed well during a brush fire years ago in that they dont't easily catch on fire. In fact the fire department praised my yard as an effective fire break. Plantations of these have been grown in South America for biodiesel. "The pencil cactus has the potential to be a biofuel because it can grow in areas where other crops can't. It's also drought and salt tolerant. " Then there is an article in the Asian Journal of Tropical Biomedicine regarding its medicinal uses. Just don't try that at home unless you are a highy skilled chemist.

The down side is that they don't produce much shade, the sap can and will drip on you even if you just walk by and unknowingly snap off a branch. Use goggles, gloves and hazmat suits if you're cutting one down and disposing of it. Most recently, I have been burning the very dead and dried branches in my indoor fireplace. My eyes have been itching and I think this was a bad idea.

The pencil cactus has the potential to be a biofuel because it can grow in areas where other crops can't. It's also drought and salt tolerant.

Yes, there are lots of scary things out there. I have always had cats and grow lots of highly poisonous plants. All my felines end up dying from advanced old age. Cats, at least, are not stupid and not going to eat poisonous stuff. Still, do not get the sap into YOUR EYES!

July 1st 2025..just happened to me! I was cutting off some branches that grew across walkway. Also tieing up some plants against a fence. 12 hours later my lips are numb, the inside of my mouth feels weird. My eyes are watering and burning, my nose is running. I just had a soapy shower and shave…I feel a little better. Also took two Aleve and two antistamine. I put my clothing in the laundry and my towel/wash cloth. Mrs is going to cut my hair! We have a nine foot Pencil and around 10 along a fence five feet tall. I don’t recall getting sap in my eyes but got plenty on my bare arms, I was wearing gloves. I am not a gardener AT ALL….I love gardens but can think of a LOT of other things I’d rather do. So as for researching garden cultivated plants before you touch them is alien to me. Will I remove the plants? I doubt it…..the very tall one is a family heirloom and all the shorter ones are cuttings from that. Here in southern California it seems if drop a piece on the ground it tends to grow! I’ll be reluctant to touch one again for sure, I’m painstakingly typing this with burning watery eyes and numb lips, runny nose. I’m not a proponent of ’banning’ most anything…..education is key. Expecting a rookie to research everything in their garden is not going to happen. The folks that responded with their vast knowledge but scathing remarks came across to me as ’know it alls’ or ’I told you so’s’ Have some regard, sympathy for the afflicted! Their ars couple of rashes on my arm where the sap stuck on hairs. Of course I now wish I understood the consequences but to expect regular none gardeners to research just isn’t constructive critism.