Euphorbia is a new plant for me.  I dipped my toe in that pool a couple of years ago, but had little success.  Then I began noticing more & different euphorbia in other gardens & those looked great.

Deciding I hadn’t tried hard enough, last summer I stuck my whole foot into the euphorbia pool.  I moved the past year’s trial plant to a new site (in hopes it would perk up), and I bought a different cultivar at the garden shop.  That made 2.

Then I admired the euphorbia at SK’s garden.  She says they grow like crazy & promptly dug some up for me.

Cousin SM also gave me a gift from her garden.

When I admired some euphorbia a drought tolerant landscape down the street, the resident assured me they’re tough as nails, and immediately offered to share some of her extras.  Wow.

Now I have 5 test patches going.

This winter it’s already paying off.  The transplant from down the street has survived – – and doesn’t this look suspiciously like blooms on the ends of the branches?

It’s called Euphorbia ‘myrsinites’.  The easier common name is Donkey Tail Spurge.  I think it’s pretty funky looking.

It lives at the base of a boulevard tree that sticks out into the street corner.  I figure this might be a good place for it, since this spurge won’t grow too high to impede the view of any drivers trying to pull into traffic.  I also have my fingers crossed that it’ll survive with far less water than it had last summer (transplants need watering until they’re established).

The garden shop cultivar is also looking encouraging.  The bright tips look like flowers to me.  Even if they’re really something else, I’m going to count them as flowers anyway.  It’s called Euphorbia ‘purpurea’, or more commonly Purple Wood Spurge.

The gifts from SK have something groovy dangling on their tips also.  I don’t know if it’s a flower – but I like it.

Does it sound like I’m getting desperate to find blooms for Victoria’s Flower Count?  Maybe.  But just getting outside at this time of year has given me a boost, and a fresh perspective.   These hen’s & chicks look so decorative, I’m half way to declaring them in bloom, too.   🙂

Yet I digress – Sorry.

I have my fingers crossed for the euphorbia Cousin SM gave me.  She warned me that it would look like it died off completely, so I’m not too worried.

The 5th sample of euphorbia is alive, but looking dormant.  It’s still early in the year, so I thrilled to have anything happening in the garden at all.

An internet search told me that poinsettia, rubber trees & cactus looking plants are actually euphorbia too.   I’d thought I was just stepping into a pool of plants called euphorbia.  Now I realize it’s a sea! The range is a bit mind-boggling

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© SVSeekins and Garden Variety Life, 2012. 

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