Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
' balefire ' shock absorber spurge ( Euphorbia polyanthemus ) . Photo by Proven Winners .
Euphorbias are easy to spring up recurrent plants that are toughened and have few problems . Popular for their richly dyed leaves and strange flowers , Euphorbia are an excellent add-on to borders , rock gardens , meadows and more . With over 2,000 case , you ’re sure to discover one that will thrive in your garden , no matter your zone .
Growing Euphorbia
Why Grow Euphorbia?
Euphorbia Care:
Some are short - inhabit ( even so , totally deserving growing ) and should be divided or propagated every two to three years , either in early fall or spring .
Many benefit from being trim back hard , at least by one - third , after flowering is finished . This keeps any devoid - seeders from gaining the upper deal and encourages a flush of raw fresh leafage .
How to clip euphorbia :
Wear gloves when handling euphorbias , and apace wash off any milky saphead that gets on your skin , as it ’s a unattackable irritant . The sap also makes spurges vicious , so be aware if you have children and favorite , though I ’ve had euphorbias and garden cats coexist for years without incident — perhaps the plants ’ skunky smell keep them from seeming like a tasty treat .
Zones:
Perennial genus Euphorbia vary in hardiness , particularly as concerns their northern edges , so check single first appearance for the plants cover here . Some types are evergreen in southerly zones but are only root fearless further north . Other types are best grown as annuals .
Exposure: Sun or Shade?
Euphorbias in general are sunshine lovers , though some will stick out partial refinement . Those with recondite - purple or reddish foliage will have more - acute colouring if planted in full sun . A very few types actually prefer at least mottle shade , while others can prosper in burnished Dominicus in the North but need part nuance in the blinding light of the South . Euphorbia amygdaloidesvar.robbiaeis a popular choice that grows well in wraith .
Soil:
One of the chief benefits of growing spurges is their drought tolerance , so good drainage is fundamental , though a few , such asE. griffithii‘Dixter ’ andE. dulcis‘Chameleon ’ , do opt more moisture than others . Euphorbias are also not picky about soils , and most can handle arenaceous and modal situations . For those types that tend to feed and spread , fertile soils could encourage them to expand beyond their boundaries , so stay fresh things lean lends control . But if you want yourE. amygdaloidesvar.robbiaeto cover more terra firma faster , rich constituent soil will kick things off .
Euphorbia Plant Varieties
Their lyrical Latin name ( euphorbia ) and croaky vulgar name ( spurge ) are significative of the duple nature of Euphorbia — refined yet tough . The ones discussed here are the hardy perennial types , but the genus also includes succulents like pencil cactus , tropicals care Mexican flameleaf and shrubs with wicked - sharp spines .
Photo by : Proven Winners .
' BONFIRE'—Buy now from Proven Winners
Aptly named , Euphorbia polychroma‘Bonfire ’ bursts onto the scene in spring with foliation that mixes green , yellow and orangish , alter to crimson , burgundy and mahogany for the summer - through - tumble show — a great dividing line for the chartreuse - gold blooms . Its neat , mounded form lends itself to the front of the delimitation or a container . take full sun in the North , part shade in the South . shock spurge benefits from a later - summer cutback and from division every few years . Zones 5 - 9 .
picture by : Rob Cardillo .
' BLACKBIRD '
Compact mounds of deep - purple leaves on reddish stems with lustrous - white-livered head of peak — babble out about a dramatic color combo!Euphorbia‘Blackbird ’ keep to a neat 1 to 2 feet tall and wide , make it a burst for modest borders and container . The plenteous foliage color is dour ( almost black ) in full sun and stay solid all time of year ; in warm zones it can even be evergreen . Clusters of densely pack bloom appear in spring . geographical zone 6 - 9 .
photograph by : Andrea Jones .
' DIXTER '
We have observe British garden writer Christopher Lloyd to give thanks for this fiery spurge . There ’s never a dull moment withEuphorbia griffithii‘Dixter ’ ( named for Lloyd ’s homeGreat Dixter ) . Coral shoots emerge in give and segue into reddish - bronze stems and dark - green leaf flushed with coppery red . Burnt - orange tree head of flower sizzle all summertime . This spurge likes a bit of wraith and dampish grime . zone 5 - 9 .
' chamaeleon '
Maroon - purple leaves form a mound 1 to 2 feet tall , making a snappy backdrop for the yellow - light-green flowers . Euphorbia dulcis‘Chameleon ’ can seed itself about the garden , so as a preventive it can be turn out back hard after flowering , which also promotes a hot flash of new leafage . Older plants can get leggy , but division is wanton in former declension or bound . Sometimes send for swampland spurge , ‘ Chameleon ’ is partial to moist , rich territory . Zones 4 - 9 .
MEDITERRANEAN SPURGE
A shrubby species establish in the Mediterranean region on rocky hillsides , undetermined woods and along roadsides , Euphorbia characiascomes by its drouth and stir up margin naturally . Blue - green leaves corkscrew up cherry , downy stems . The foliage is denser toward the superlative of the stems , leaving the bases bare , giving the flora an architectural vibe . Big clusters of yellowish green flower heads last from spring to summertime . This is a suddenly - lived perennial , but it reseed . zone 7 - 10 .
EFANTHIA
A cultivar of wood spurge , Efanthia ( Euphorbia amygdaloides ) sports xanthous - greenish blossom in spring with burgundy foliation in cold atmospheric condition . This improved diverseness has a bushy , compendious habit with a mature peak of 14 to 20 inches . zone 6 - 9 .
ROBB ‘S SPURGE
Ask any nurseryman to name the toughest situation , and the response will be teetotal tint . ButEuphorbia amygdaloidesvar.robbiaecan solve the job . wearisome to diffuse , it spring an evergreen plant groundcover 1 to 2 invertebrate foot tall of mysterious green , shining leaves . Chartreuse prime head appear in late spring and last for month . In moist , racy territory it spreads quicker . zone 5 - 7 .
Photo by : Chelsea Stickel .
' petite TIM '
With the tongue - twisting prescribed name ofEuphorbia martini‘Waleutiny ’ , it ’s no wonder this shock spurge has acquire a much precious appellation . Looking like a Koosh Ball , ‘ bantam Tim ’ forms a perfect 1 - foot bonce of narrow blue - unripe leaf and a swarm of greenish - icteric bracts cup under little red flowers . Unlike many spurge , this one stay to bloom throughout the time of year . Zones 6 - 8 .
' TASMANIAN TIGER '
Discovered as a seedling ofEuphorbia characiasin a garden in Tasmania , this phenomenal spurge has both variegated leaves and flowers , combining blue - green with creamy white . just halt are a woods of linear leaves , forming a heavy shrubby hillock . In spring through early summertime , large head of blossom vacillate on 2- to 3 - foot stems , pale yellow and cream , with small green bow - tie centre of attention . Evergreen where winters are mild . zone 6 - 9 .
Hardy spurge have become hugely popular in perennial border across the continent and in Europe , their stout mounds of leafy stanch , like so many oversize bottlebrushes , sate a shrubby role , though with predictable sizes and tidy form . Newer varieties have luxuriously colored leaves and flower heads , in burgundy , copper , creamy - white strip , eggplant purpleness and icy blue - green .
The flowers are an strange arrangement and one of the commonalty of the euphorbia family . Most obvious in the flashy display ofpoinsettias , the showy part are actually not blossom but modified leaves call bracts . The real blooms are bantam and distinctly non - ornate expect . One benefit of receive bracts is that the floral head continue to be showy long after the flowers themselves have done their matter . Another common broker among euphorbias is the milky sap that runs through their veins , which is venomous and a tegument irritant . But what clear them toxic also makes them deer resistive — a big incentive . Add to that drought and heat liberal , long flower and low sustenance , and you ’ve acquire a nonpareil perennial .
Diamond Frost ® euphorbia hybrid . Photo : Proven Winners .
TRY THE UNIQUE DIAMOND® SERIES EUPHORBIAS
While most euphorbias are perennial , the Diamond ® serial are hybrid yearly that produce airy clouds of flyspeck white flower bracts above the attractive dark-green lance - shaped foliage . This unique , award - winning variety , which reaches 12 to 18 inches magniloquent and wide , bloom nonstop from planting until frost .
Diamond ® Euphorbia are tough and virtually maintenance - free , are heat and drought resistant , and thrive in sun to fond shade . These versatile plants immix well with many other annual . Use as a filler component in container , for hanging handbasket and windowpane box , massed as a bedding plant , or to border pathway and borders .
variety show includeDiamond Frost ® (pictured),Diamond Mountain ® andDiamond Snow ® .
