Pronounciation: U-FOR-bee-a RI-gi-da

Hardiness zones
Sunset 4-24
USDA 8-11

Landscape Use: Great landscape filler for xeric landscapes, rock gardens, containers.

Form & Character: Stiff, tough, yet delicate, rounded, symmetrical, recessive, semi arid.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous perennial subshrub, sometimes treated as a summer annual in colder climates, stiffly upright and spreading to 2-feet tall with a 3- to 5-feet spread.

Foliage/Texture: Fleshy, almost succulent gray green lanceolate leaves to 1- to 2-inches 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 reddish-brown as they age and senesce; fruits are green and multi-carpulate.

Seasonal Color: Yellow flowers in spring

Temperature: Heat loving, cold tolerant to 10^o to 20^oF.

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. Flowers strongly attract bees. The latex sap is poisonous causing a mild skin dermatitis upon contact.

Taxonomic note: 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.