Along the dusty road from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham, this Euphorbia lactea, known in English as “dragon bones”, rises like a jagged green sculpture, its milky-sapped stems adapted to hot, dry air. Often planted as an ornamental, this cactus-like spurge thrives on disturbed ground and roadsides across tropical Asia, quietly turning harsh verges into accidental gardens. Seen from a passing bus or moto, its ridged, spiny columns feel both protective and otherworldly, a living candelabra marking the rhythm of Cambodia’s everyday journeys.
