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Re: propagating euphorbia

Pam,

I grow E. characias and find mine tend to flop, too.  I searched for this
plant for years and finally got seed from RHS seedlist many years ago.  I'm
sorry I don't remember exactly what I did to them, but I seem to remember a
period of cold stratification and then germination in warmth.  At any rate,
mine now seed all over the garden by themselves, so I don't collect and
grow seed on, I just dig up the babies and pot them on for a while.

After I got the seed, I found plants in a catalog and ordered some to be on
the safe side.  They had obviously been divided from larger plants.  So
this can be done.  I have not done it.  I would think, however, that it
would need to be done after bloom at the time that you would normally cut
back the old stems and just as they are thinking about putting out new
growth.  

The divisions I received looked as though they had been cut from the main
plant with a sharp knife as there were flat cross sections of woody center
material exposed where the cuts had taken place.  They are not plants that
split up into bits readily.  It also appeared to me that all old stems had
been cut back hard and what I had was new growth from the base, as they do
after they bloom.  If I remember correctly, these did not bloom the first
year they were planted, either.

These plants have very long fleshy taproots and resent being dug up
immensely.  No matter how careful you are, they sulk and droop and
sometimes die on you when moved as mature plants, but  I have moved large
plants who, after thinking it over for a while, decided to go ahead and
live.  They were not happy campers for some time, tho'.

So, I don't think it's actually practical to think about dividing them in
bloom and having the divisions keep blooming in new locations.

If you want to collect seed, I'd suggest taking an old nylon stocking -
knee highs would be good - and putting it over an entire flower head after
it looks like they have been pollinated.  The seed matures and pops off the
plant just when you've forgotten to check on it for a few days.  This way,
the seed will stay in the nylon stocking until you get around to collecting
it.  Seems to take seedlings a couple of years to reach blooming size, but
this is with pretty much total neglect on my part - except for watering ;-)
- so blooming might be speeded up with encouragement, I just don't know for
sure.

Because I'm at the cold end of their range, they are not long lived
perennials for me, but I manage to keep them going by always having
seedlings coming on.  I just wish I could get that lovely architectural
look out of them you see in the UK gardens....sigh.  If I can remember, I'm
going to try staking a couple of clumps next year to see if it keeps them
from flopping open when blooming.

Hope this helps.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
http://www.suite101.com
----------
> From: Pamela M Palmer <pmpalmer@nwlink.com>
> Subject: propagating euphorbia
> Date: Monday, April 28, 1997 11:45 PM
> 
> Hi--I'm new to the list.  I garden in zone 8, just north of Seattle near
> Puget Sound.  (I really like it when posters tell where they live or
> describe climate as microclimates make a huge difference)  My large (4'
> x 4') euphorbia characias (? var) is magnificent in late bloom, rain
> making it flop.  Flowering stems can be cut back now or later, but
> before it shoves me off the path I'd like to propagate it, and have many
> flowering-size plants ASAP.  Does anyone have tips? Seeds will mature
> later (there are MANY blooming stems) and I'd also like to know how to
> deal with them.  Any help will be appreciated.  thanks, Pam
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