Euphorbia – A Real Trooper in a Drought

publication date: Apr 1, 2008

 | 

author/source: Kate Copsey

By Kate Copsey

Sometimes a plant surprises you – like the surprise I got from the three little euphorbias that I planted in my garden last year, in the middle of the drought. They are now in full bloom and destined to be a staple in my garden.

Last year, particularly after mid-summer, they were barely watered, and for the most part they did not grow much. However, they didn’t die either – that was a definite plus point for the trio as many other newly planted perennials did not survive.

Euphorbia x martinii "Rudolph"

Throughout the winter, they hung in there. Then early in the year when the rains arrived, they showed signs of growth. The thick needle-like gray-green foliage was topped with colored bracts making the plant an attractive contrast to the green of early spring bulbs. “Rudolph” had bright red bracts on mid green foliage, and “Shorty” had yellow bracts on gray/green foliage. “Glacier” also produced pale yellow bracts on top of gray leaves edged with white.

Finally, at the end of February the bracts turned into small flowers. The interesting flowers bloom as small circular cups with a contrasting dark spot in the center. The flowers are held above the bracts, giving a cup and saucer effect.

Euphorbia characias "Shorty"

Euphorbias are more commonly known as spurges, which are succulents and are renowned to be drought tolerant across the South. Most euphorbias are perennial, with a few annuals such as Diamond Frost. The specific ones that I have are quite new on the market and are reported to be hardy through zone 6.

Plant euphorbias in full sun, to light shade, and use them as accents in your winter garden.  They will get to about one foot in height and about the same in width. Keep in mind that these plants are succulents, so go easy with the water as they have a tendency to rot quite easily.

Trim the spent flower stalks to keep a neat and compact perennial. Use gloves when pruning euphorbias so that you do not get the irritating sap on your skin.

Good places to plant these would be to intersperse them with spring bulbs or along a pathway. They can even be used in rock gardens and containers.

One note of caution: the sap of euphorbia is apparently irritating to those who are latex sensitive. Christmas poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are in the same family and the sap is similar in both plants, so if you are sensitive to poinsettias then you may want to avoid the rest of the Euphorbia family of plants too.

Some Euphorbias will be available through Proven Winners selections at your local nursery. “Rudolph,” “Shorty” and “Glacier” are available by mail order from Skagit Gardens (www.skagitgardens.com ). Look for them as well at some local nurseries.