Euphorbia is a genus in the family Euphorbiaceae. Consisting of 2008 species, Euphorbia is the fourth largest genus of flowering plants. Succulent species originate mostly from Africa, the Americas and Madagascar. The common name “spurge” derives from the Middle English/Old French espurge (“to purge”), due to the use of the plant’s sap as a medicinal purgative. The plants are annual or perennial herbs, woody shrubs or trees. Smaller Euphorbias make excellent potted plants while larger species are valuable landscaping plants.

Euphorbia grandialata is a South African endemic succulent found exclusively in the Limpopo Province. It is a very attractive plant that looks somewhat like a yellowish striped Euphorbia cooperi. It is characterized by periods of rapid growth. It is a gorgeous and rare thorny columnar species with a solitary or branched trunk. It is upright at first, then branching from the base, to form a spreading bush. Closely related to Euphorbia cooperi, it has a reduced main stems and it is rarely higher than 2 metres whereas Euphorbia cooperi var. cooperi forms a definite tree. The branchlets are deciduous and shed continuously as new ones are formed resulting in a bare trunk with irregularly spaced branch scars. The lower branches curve upward giving the tree the shape of a candelabrum.