Monadenium (Monadenium ritchiei)
Also called
Euphorbia ritchiei, this
rare succulent from Kenya
makes an attractive plant
for warm, dry environments.
It has a columnar
shape with small, rounded
protrusions on the stem,
called tubercles, that are
arranged in spirals. Leaves
form during the active
growing season but they
drop off as the seasons
change. Pink flowers, called cyathia, appear on the stem tips in late summer
and fall. It spreads by underground shoots and eventually forms a large clump.
The stems blush red in full sun. Make sure to grow in a well-drained cactus soil
in a clay pot, and water only when the soil is dry.