Euphorbia

Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii

An unusual dry-tolerant classic garden perennial.  This plant flowers for a long time in sun or shade with large lime-green flowers that lifts winter gardens well into Spring.  Ever-green blue-grey foliage create a striking contrast with other plants. Loves to have a bit of a self-seed if it’s in a good spot but it’s easy to pull out.  Grows to about 1m.  Just be careful with the sap, it is an irritant.  Jenny once got it in her eye.  It was not fun.

Euphorbia cyparissias ‘Fens Ruby’

A very unusual groundcover, Euphorbia cyparissias ‘Fens Ruby’ is a fast-spreading rhizomatous perennial noted for its colorful foliage and long-lasting chartreuse flowers. Emerging plum-purple in spring, the foliage of soft, narrow leaves, fades to blue-green in summer before turning golden-orange in fall and dying completely away.  It is a spreader though, so be warned.

Euphorbia dulcis ‘Chameleon’

Blessed with very attractive boldly coloured foliage that emerge burgundy/bronze in Spring, turn purple/green in Autumn, and die down in Winter. Has small yellow flowers in early Summer that contrast very nicely indeed.  Needs to be cut back each year.

Euphorbia x martini

A most striking foliage plant, Euphorbia x martinii is an evergreen sub-shrub which produces rosettes of narrow, dark gray-green leaves on stiff stems with a slight burgundy tinge. In late spring, it sports dense sprays of chartreuse flowers, ours are studded with a purple/red eye, which is particularly eye-catching.  One of my favourites.

Euphorbia mellifera

A beautiful larger Euphorbia with smooth green stems, topped with long narrow, acid-green leaves, each striped with a central white vein. These often take on colourful hues in autumn. In late spring round heads of curious knobbly orangey-red bracts are heavily scented like honey so obviously the bees love it which is never a bad thing.

Euphorbia rigida

A wonderful spreading, evergreen with steely blue-silver foliage with a pronounced pointed tip. It is upright in habit but slowly spreads to form an evenly rounded habit to around 40cm tall. The sulphur-yellow bracts put on a bright show in late-Winter and age to a soft coral red.  It has a kind of Little Shop of Horrors vibe about it but it creates fantastic texture amongst your plants.