Mid January in London and plant of the week – Euphorbia characias shows a healthy sign of life. Lime green blooms, eucalyptus coloured green foliage with a somewhat wild and alien appearance. Though still some time off before they reach their prime, you can tell they are about to rock.
Plant of the week – Euphorbia characias subsp. Wulfenii
This is a versatile plant. From a garden design perspective, it’s great for ground cover purposes. Spreading via underground runners they will eventually form colonies, effectively discouraging weeds. It prefers sun or part shade. To me it seems to like woodland settings, feeling comfy under tree canopies. Equally I’ve seen it thriving on the southside of green spaces. Aka wood spurge, city and courtyard gardens, cottage and informal gardens, borders and beds benefit from this plant.
It’s flexible on soil type tolerating loam, chalk and sand, but likes them moist and well-draining. Being a hardy plant, it will do well in USDA zones 6-9. It’s considered low maintenance. Ultimate height and spread is 0.5 m. Blooming peak is reached in mid to late spring, but as already noted, the build up starts way before that.
Please note that plant of the week – Euphorbia characias is for show only. DO NOT EAT as it will cause severe discomfort. Furthermore the milky sap can irritate skin so do take care.
