Hardiness zones
Sunset 4-24
USDA 8-11
Landscape Use: Great landscape filler for xeric landscapes, rock gardens, containers.
Form & Character: Stiff, tough, rounded, symmetrical evergreen landscape perennial sometimes treated as a summer annual in colder climates
.Growth Habit: Stiffly upright and spreading subshrub herbaceous forb to 2 ft in height with a 3-5 ft spread.
Foliage/Texture: Fleshy, almost succulent gray green lanceolate leaves to 1-2" long, tapering to tip, nearly sessile, stems nearly succulent and exude a low grade white rubber latex; medium texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Yellow flowers aging to orange are encased in dominant fused yellow sepals clustered at branch terminals, sepals turn green and then light brown as they age and senesce; fruits are green and multi-carpulate.
Seasonal Color: Yellow flowers in spring
Temperature: Heat loving. Cold tolerant to 10o to 20oF.
Light: Full sun will promote a tight and rounded canopy. Partial shade will cause stems to elongate. In Phoenix, silver spurge does poorly in full shade.
Soil: Tolerant of soil alkalinity and thrives best in well drained soil; mildly salt sensitive showing as apical tip necrosis on older leaves.
Watering: Infrequently regular irrigations are necessary during summer, but no supplemental water is needed during winter.
Pruning: Can and should be cut back severely during early fall to rejuvenate growth.
Propagation: Softwood cuttings
Disease and pests: None
Additional comments: Silver spurge is a reliable low growing perennial subshrub for Phoenix xeric landscapes. The latex sap is poisonous causing a mild skin dermatitis upon contact. Euphorbia is a diverse genus containing the popular pot plant, poinsettia. There are at least 96 recognized species many of which make fine landscape shrubs and sub shrubs. Flowers strongly attract bees.
