I've been looking at all the beautiful Euphorbia in bloom, thinking that it really deserves a blog post. And, wouldn't you know it, my friend Lesley asked me yesterday if I would write about the crazy Jetson's space age plant with all the suction cups! Euphorbia. Absolutely! And nice to know I have at least one reader out there! There are actually about 2000 species of Euphorbia, ranging from the Ponsettia to 30 foot tall tropical varieties. When most gardeners here mention Euphorbia they are referring to the European perennials (Euphorbia amygdaloides and Euphorbia characias). Euphorbia characias wulfenii, pictured above, is one of the most commonly grown varieties, which grows to an impressive 3' to 4' high. It has blue green foliage that persists throughout winter, and looks great with it's massive spring display of chartreuse bracts. I like to mix this Euphorbia, or smaller similar varieties with lavender and or New Zealand flax for color contrast. It is relatively drought tolerant and prefers a full sun location. Maintenance is minimal - just cut older yellow/brown stalks down to the base. All Euphorbia have sap that can be a skin irritant, so wear gloves when doing any pruning.
