Re: Euphorbias
- To:
- Subject: Re: Euphorbias
- From: M* T*
- Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 05:31:14 -0500
I once grew 'Fireglow' - quite nice color, but a real sprawler (at least in
my garden), so if your space is limited, you may want a more compact one;
I've not had much success in staking these plants so they looked natural,
yet stood straight.
E. characias sub spp. wulfenii is evergreen. Under good conditions (I've
seen this in the UK), they can be incredibly architectural plants over 4'
tall and wide - I've never attained that with mine :-(
Yes, you do go in and cut back the old flowering stems after they
flower...they die off and look pretty ratty.
Actually, what they want is good drainage - they will wilt terribly if they
get too dry. Mine seed around all over the place - in some pretty solid MD
clay - and do well as long as winter isn't too severe. They are not long
lived for me, even if winter is mild. One plant lasting maybe two or three
years before it just up and dies. But, they seed all over the place, so if
you keep a sharp eye out, you can always find seedlings to replace your
losses. They transplant easily as small seedlings, but get a pretty hefty
tap type root and resent having it cut about when they get older. Think
to move old ones successfully, you have to cut them right back and hope
they sprout out again.
Exceedingly nifty plants IMO. For those who don't know what these guys
look like, I've got photos of both E. characias and E. wulfenii at the end
of this article...they're the last 3 pics.
http://suite101.com/article.cfm/shade_gardening/10057
Just before E. characias is a photo of my all-time favorite Euphorbia,
Euphorbia amygdaloides purpurea - love this plant!! If you don't know and
grow it, try it, you'll like it :-)
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
current article: Late Color - Part 2
http://suite101.com/welcome.cfm/222
----------
> From: Meum71@aol.com
> Date: Monday, November 30, 1998 1:23 PM
>
> Thank you Marilyn I have heard that they are nice plants. I need to make
a
> choice, I have no room for both.
>
> Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon' - Is a very nice plant too. with dark smoky
> foliage and leafy flowering bracts. It grows about 12 " tall for me and
forms
> a small upright clump. It is hardy in zones 4-9. And likes a moist well
> drained soil in light shade.
>
> Euphorbia griffithii - Is a spreading plant that grows 24-36" tall and is
> hardy in zones 4-9 too. It should be planted in the same type of
location as
> the above species.
> 'Dixter' - Should have copper tinted very dark green foliage with
orange/red
> involucres.
> 'Fireglow' -- has red/orange involicres and grows 30" tall and three feet
> wide.
>
> Euphorbia characias 'Wulfenii' - I cannot grow this plant, It is hardy
to
> zones 7-10.
> It looks very atractive. With large round light yellow-green globes of
> "flower."
> My information says that it is evergreen with biannual shoots. So old
> flowering shoots should we cut off at the end of the season. Plants grow
4 ft
> tall and about the same in width. Plants are native to the Mediterrian
region
> and thus should be drought tolerant.
>
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