Spurge, caring for this unique alien flower

The acid-green colour that surprises in spring belongs to spurge (Euphorbia), a genus of over 2300 species that can be perennial, annual, biennial or even shrub-sized. It grows fast enough for ground cover and its flowers cut well for bouquets, but the sap is poisonous: handle it only with gloves.

Spurge at a glance

Name	Euphorbia
Family	Euphorbiaceae
Type	perennial
Height	6 to 8 inches (40 to 120 cm)
Exposure	full sun, part sun
Soil	ordinary
Flowering	spring, early summer
Foliage	evergreen or deciduous depending on the area

It is surprising in spring for its out-of-this-world blooming. During the rest of the year, evergreen varieties are unique, too.

Planting spurge

Planting spurge is best in fall to favor root development before winter and thus growing back in spring.

You can also plant it up to spring but avoid frost spells. If you’re planting in spring, you’ll need to remember to water more often over the 1^st year.

• Soil must be rich and drain well.
• Spurge actually abhors soil that is too rich, so no need to fertilize the soil with fertilizer.
• Avoid moving the spurge from one place to the next, it doesn’t appreciate it.
• Each spurge variety has special characteristics and their needs differ from one species to the next. Check upon purchasing your plant if it prefers cool soil, moist soil, and full sun or part shade…

Here are a few interesting and distinctive varieties.

Spurge varieties and recommended exposure

For dry, sunny locations, best plant Euphorbia characias or Euphorbia ‘Blackord’.

In places of light shade, prefer Euphorbia palustris or Marsh spurge, it loves cool ground.

If you know that it freezes during winter, even simple frost spells, Euphorbia griffithii can survive temperatures as cold as 5°F (-15°C).

Lastly, if easy care is important, go for Euphorbia amygdaloides var Robbiae.

Did you know the world-famous Poinsettia is a type of spurge?

Which spurge for which spot?

Needs differ sharply from one species to the next, so the choice is really made on where you intend to put the plant. Here is how the varieties named in this article line up.

Check the label when you buy: each variety has its own preference for soil moisture and exposure.

Spurge in pots

It is perfectly possible to grow your spurges in a pot. It’s even a brilliant idea for your decks, patios and balconies.

• For that, find a container that has a hole at the bottom for drainage.
• Plant the spurge in all-purpose, planting or horticultural soil mix.
• Avoid emplacements that might get too hot. Partial shade is actually recommended.
• More regular watering is a good idea, with mulch at the foot of the spurge.
• Water as soon as the soil is dry, for in pots the soil dries up much faster.

Pruning and caring for spurge

Once it has settled in properly, spurge is considered an easy-going plant that only requires little care.

Detach flowers once they’ve wilted away, and protect your hands from sap because it will cause skin rashes.

• At the end of the season, cut back very short in fall if ever frost spells are common in your area.
• Always wear gloves when handling the plant because the sap is poisonous.
• If you want the plant so sow seeds on its own, don’t disturb it at all.

Spurges don’t like being moved to different places, so try to think of the best place right off the bat when planting.

All there is to know about the spurge

Spurge is a unique, original and cute perennial. It is subdivided into a great number of species: over 2300 have been accounted to this day. Practically the only thing they share in common is the sap which is highly irritant and poisonous.

The plant can be a perennial, an annual, a biennial and sometimes grows as big as a shrub.

It needs just the right climate to keep its leaves for all 4 seasons of the year.

It grows a lot, and quickly, which makes it adequate for ground cover.

If the acid green color of the plant surprises you in spring, you won’t be disappointed: all year long, this plant is remarkable whenever leaves can last that long.

• Best plant these specimens in flower beds and along edges.

Read also:

• Propagate through crown division in fall

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