05 Euphorbia

This week 'Flowering in my garden' is concentrating on a genus of plants that can be annual, perennial, shrubby and succulent, and that has so many different varieties that I can barely scratch the surface (which ironically wouldn't be advisable as the sap is an irritant, although it doesn't seem to affect me!)

The Euphorbias, or Spurges, in my garden range from large evergreen shrubby ones to small, delicate ones that die down in the winter. The ones that are showing well at the moment are the evergreen ones.

Euphorbia wolfenii is a larger variant with tall stems, blue green leaves, and bright green tufts of bracts hiding dark red flowers. This is a fast growing and vigorous shrub which was moved last year as it had outgrown it's position. I had planted it to hide the compost bins and frankly it was doing the job so well that we were struggling to get to them! Now it is at the back of the sunny bed under the Magnolia grandiflora, it has taken a while to settle but the flowers are coming so it can't be too unhappy!

Euphorbia  characias 'Glacier blue' is one that I put in this year so at the moment it is quite small, but it will grow and is a medium sized Euphorbia. It has variegated blue green/silver leaves and yellow green bracts. I have been warned that it can be less robust than other Euphorbias so I will let you know how it does, but so far it has survived the storms and rain and is set to flower well.

Euphorbia amygaloides 'Ruby glow' is a smaller bushy Euphorbia which forms a mound of very dark green whorls of leaves, topped by new growth which is bright orange. From this new growth will come the flowers which will have bright green bracts with dark flowers.

The Euphorbia mellifera isn't flowering at the moment but still provides a great, lively backdrop, with fountains of bright green leaves. Another larger variant, it's home is at the back of the border but when it flowers it has the most amazing honey scent, which is where it gets it's common name of Honey Spurge. So don't put it too far back or you'll miss out on the best bit.

I noticed that the shoots of my Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow' are coming up this weekend so I have that to look forward to and some time soon the tiny but enthusiastic Euphorbia cyparissias will be up. Roll on spring!

There is a Euphorbia for pretty much every spot, from sun to deep shade and for most soil types. They are hardy and some spread madly. The only problem I have ever had with them is that they grow too well, so match your choice of Euphorbia to your spot carefully, and enjoy their year round performance!