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How to grow euphorbias
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Tuesday, 7 May 2024 at 4:03 pm
All you need to know about growing and caring for euphorbias, in this detailed Grow Guide.
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This article has been checked for horticultural accuracy by Oliver Parsons.
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Euphorbia is a large genus, with plants ranging from Christmas poinsettias and cowboy cacti to large shrubs like Euphorbia mellifera. The shrubby, hardy varieties make excellent garden plants for a range of situations, depending on their size and preference.
Shrubby euphorbias are easy to grow, and look exotic and striking all year round. They add structure and texture to a mixed planting scheme, making them a great companion for colourful shrubs and perennials.
In the video above, Monty Don recommends two excellent euphorbia varieties, and details how and where to plant them. He also gives tips on how to propagate euphorbias from cuttings.
How to grow euphorbias
Grow shrubby euphorbias in moist but free-draining soil in sun to partial shade. Use them as a foil for other bright colours or as part of a woodland scheme. Mulch annually if your soil is very poor or if weeds need suppressing, but in richer soils it may be best to leave the plant alone to avoid over-lush, tall and floppy growth.
Where to plant euphorbias
Euphorbia x martini 'Ascot Rainbow'
Euphorbias generally require a sunny position and fertile, free-draining soil. However, some varieties are tolerant of shade, and will thrive beneath trees and shrubs as ground cover.
How to plant euphorbias
Woodchip mulch being added to a planted euphorbia
When planting pot-grown euphorbias outdoors, dig a generous hole and add some compost or leaf mould if necessary. After firming in your euphorbia, water it well, and add a layer of mulch (a minimum 5cm thick) to keep in moisture and prevent weeds while the plant is establishing.
How to care for euphorbias
A euphorbia being pruned to remove weak stems
Euphorbias do not require feeding or special care as long as the growing conditions are right. It's a good idea to cut back flowering stems after the blooms have faded. However, you must always wear gloves when working with euphorbias, as their milky sap irritates the skin and eyes, and is poisonous if ingested.
How to propagate euphorbias
Cuttings of euphorbia plants
Propagate euphorbias by taking cuttings in spring. Make sure you wear gloves to protect you from the sap.
In the video below, Monty Don shows how easy and rewarding it is to propagate euphorbias by taking cuttings of Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii in spring. He also shares tips on how to keep them fresh, how to plant them and how to protect your hands from the irritant sap.
Growing euphorbias: problem solving
Euphorbia 'Efanthia'
Euphorbias do not suffer from any particular pests and diseases. You may find that growth with some varieties is floppy and tall if the soil conditions are too rich.
Great euphorbia varieties to grow
Euphorbia myrsinites
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- Euphorbia x martini ‘Ascot Rainbow’ Bears dark grey-green rosettes of leaves and upright bracts in lime-green with a red eye. They emerge with a pink flush and develop a red-marked, creamy-yellow margin with age. They may also develop pink colouring in winter. The spring flowerheads are variegated green, cream and red. It forms a low, weed-smothering carpet over the ground.
- Euphorbia myrsinites Small, low-growing and drought-tolerant, Euphorbia myrsinites is good for bordering paths or patios, alpine gardens and containers. It has elongated silvery-green fir cones, with pale, silvery green scale-like leaves overlapping all the way along the stems. In early summer these have flat heads of yellow flowers at the ends.
- Euphorbia x pasteurii A large evergreen shrub, this is a cross between Euphorbia stygiana and Euphorbia mellifera. It is rounded in shape and slender, with dark-green leaves with white midribs, turning red in autumn. Flowers are a bronze-green and sweetly scented. Grow this in free-draining soil in a Mediterranean-style or gravel garden. Cut back spent flowerheads in autumn.
- Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae A dark, evergreen variety that thrives in poor, dry soil in shade, making it perfect for growing under big trees. It spreads by underground runners, eventually forming a low, weed-smothering carpet. Lime-green flowers appear from spring to early summer.
- Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii An architectural perennial, with bluish-green evergreen foliage and large, dome-shaped, lime-coloured flowers in spring. It's ideal for growing in a sunny border or gravel garden.
Frequently asked questions
Help! My Euphorbia mellifera has been killed by frost Euphorbia mellifera is hardy down to around -5ºC but will die back in temperatures that fall below that or after a particularly severe frost. It can look like the plant is dead but it's not. Leave frosted material where it is until all risk of frost has passed and then remove it, cutting back to firm stems. Euphorbia mellifera will grow back as soon as temperatures start to increase again. Can I move a euphorbia? Most euphorbias can be transplanted easily enough, although this is not the case with the very popular Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii. Before you dig up your euphorbia, water it thoroughly to dampen the ground and then dig a wide trench around the rootball, keeping as much of the rootball intact as possible. It can also help to cut back top-growth first, as this means the roots will be less stressed immediately after the move. Carefully lift the euphorbia out of the ground and replant it immediately in its new planting hole, watering well. Continue watering daily until you see signs of new growth. Don't forget to wear gloves when handling euphorbias, as the sap is an irritant and can cause skin and eye damage.
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