FROM THE GARDEN : Chameleons of the plant world suitable for every garden setting
Posted on Sunday, August 17, 2008
LYNN ROGERS Special to the Times The blue-gray evergreen foliage of donkey-tail spurge is an interesting counterpoint to the native stone boulders and grasses in the author’s garden.
What do poinsettias have in common with crown of thorns, a houseplant, and snow on the mountain, an annual ground cover ? They are all members of the extremely diverse genus Euphorbia, commonly known as spurges.
They masquerade as everything from a 70-foot tree to a tiny 4-inch tall spherical form called the Living Baseball. When asked about plants that I can't name, I jokingly reply," Probably a euphorbia," because there is a good chance I'll be right.
These chameleons can be annual, biennial or perennial. They can be evergreen or deciduous and woody or herbaceous, living in temperate, subtropical and tropical habitats all over the world.
With more than 2, 100 species, Euphorbia is one of the largest genera in the plant kingdom. Its common name comes from a derivation of the Old French word espurge because of its use as a purgative. Romans, African tribes and the Aztecs all used spurges to treat various illnesses: fever, wounds, asthma, laryngitis, rheumatism, colic and gastric problems. It is also the source of candelilla wax often used in shoe polish and cosmetics.
The Latin botanical name was given by African King Juba II of Mauritania to honor his Greek physician, Euphorbus. King Juba wrote treatises on natural history and did biological research on plants in his kingdom. He described the use of the plants as a purgative. Euphorbia regisjubae was named to honor the king for discovering and naming the genus.
Most euphorbias have milky sap, similar to latex, which is irritating to the skin and mucus membranes, so use caution and wear gloves when handling these plants. I've grown many euphorbias as houseplants over the last 30 years and have never experienced an adverse reaction, but it is best to exercise caution.
At least four species are native in Arkansas: Snow on the Prairie (E. bicolor ), Wood Spurge (E. commutata ), Flowering Spurge (E. corollata ) and Wild Poinsettia (E. heterophylla ).
In my Fayetteville garden, I've just begun to explore euphorbias that can be grown outside. They are usually grown for their intense leaf and bract colors rather than flowers, which are usually inconspicuous.
Cultivars of wood spurge (E. amygdaloides var. robbiae ) and swamp spurge (E. dulcis ) are excellent choices for dry shade. Look for'Purpurea', purple-red leaves with sulphur-yellow flowers; ' Rubra', wine-colored foliage with yellow floral bracts; and'Chameleon' with chocolatecolored foliage and yellowgreen bracts.
Cascading down a boulder in our front yard, the donkey-tail spurge (E. myrsinites ) always elicits comments from visitors to the garden. The blue-gray succulent, circular leaves, topped with yellow flowers, make a perfect accent in rocky places and the plant thrives in sunny, dry areas. Another point in its favor is that it is evergreen.
For really hot western or southern exposures, Blackbird Spurge, Euphorbia'Nothowlee', is a bushy, almost black plant topped with yellow floral bracts. It and its parent'Redwing' are both excellent colorful drought-resistant plants.
My source for euphorbias, besides local nurseries, is Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, N. C. The owner, Tony Avent, has a great selection. The commentary on plants in his catalog reads like a joke book of garden humor. For example, he calls our flowering spurge (E. corollata ), Red-neck Baby's Breath and wonders why so few nurseries offer this easy-to-grow whiteflowered native.
Other white-flowered spurges are Snow-on-themountain (E. marginata ) and Euphorbia'Diamond Frost'. Both are excellent annual filler plants for borders and containers. Snow on the mountain also has attractive white margins on each leaf.
Larger, more architectural spurges, such as the 3- to 5-foot tall Mediterranean Spurge (E. characias ssp wulfenii ) and its named varieties, the shorter'Humpty Dumpty', bluer'Jade Dragon', velvety'Portuguese Velvet' and golden'Lambrook Gold' are on my list to acquire for our garden.
Finally, for an interesting houseplant, I'd like to try to grow the succulent, spherical 8-ribbed Living Baseball, (E. obesa ), one of the weirdest plants I've ever seen.
Growing euphorbias can be addictive and so, to paraphrase a famous potato chip commercial, I'll bet you can't grow just one.
Lynn Rogers is a former biology and Spanish teacher who has a passion for gardening, traveling and singing. She is a Washington County Master Gardener and enjoys helping people with their garden problems.
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