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Gardening in Canada

Can anyone ID these Euphorbia specimens?

18 years ago

I have two kinds of Euphorbia specimens that have appeared with introduced plants (Maybe there were seeds or roots.). They seem to like fall weather. I've noticed large Euphorbia specimens in full winter in Vancouver on previous years. Some seem like tough winter plants for southwest BC.

Location of these specimens is Victoria, BC on the 3rd of Dec 2005.

Here is a link that might be useful: Euphorbia specimens for ID

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Comments (6)

Mystery_Gardener
18 years ago
Hi Den:

The striped one in the background is Euphorbia lathyrus also known as gopher spurge. I think it is a biennial.

Not as sure about the one in the foreground but it looks like Euphorbia 'Excalibur', also known as Euphorbia 'Froeup'. If so, it is a perennial.

Cheers,
MG
marricgardens
18 years ago
The big one in the front looks a lot like the Cushion Spurge i have in my garden. I planted one and now I have to keep pulling out the 'babies'. Marg
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This last is one of the variegated forms of Euphorbia characias - could be 'Glacier Blue', 'Silver Swan' or possibly 'Tasmanian Tiger'. All of these are patented plants also so not sure why they are being sold tagless unless the tags have been misplaced. This makes me think the first could very well be 'Blackbird' too, as it has very deep coloring, whereas the 'Purpurea' is quite variable. Good scores all, as these are great, very low maintenance perennials and evergreen to boot. All of these euphorbias should be hardy for zone 8 - they are all fully hardy in mine. However, most euphorbias tend to be rather xeric plants and do not care for high humidity. If you live in the south or other zone 8 locations with high humidity, these may not be very long lived.
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Not a euphorbia, but something in the asclepiad family. Most likely a huernia. Its difficult to id without a flower. If you havent purchased it already,i would go and purchase it, because on can never have too many asclepiads.
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Looks like E. polychroma (photo #2) which I also have growing in the garden. I like it since it is very easy to grow, colors-up the garden very early (like now); it self-seeds for me but not invasive. I only give it a haircut later in the season since it tends to eventually 'flop' - but it regrows & looks just great until frost. Nice, easy care plant (milky sap irritating to some as euphorbias are). Photo #1 is Euphorbia myrsinites (Donkey-tail Spurge), it's trailing. My does not look that great yet-just waking up... (Both photos just taken). Both do very well in zone 5 (possibly even lower). Rina 1:
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Looks to me like E. suzannae x E. bupleurifolia, which for whatever reason is often labeled/sold as E. japonica. All Euphorbs flower, and most of them do so very freely in cultivation. That one in particular might be a bit young, but you are probably only a couple years from seeing flowers, if that. Most Euphorbs do want to be a bit rootbound to bloom, so don't be too eager to increase the pot size. Nice plant by the way!
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den_vic
Original Author
18 years ago
So that info leeds me to assume that different Euphorbias might vary widely in hardiness and time of year.

Cheers
Mystery_Gardener
18 years ago
We also have Cushion Spurge (Euphorbia polychroma)in our garden but they are shorter than the one in Den's photo. My favourite is Euphorbia myrsinites (Donkey-tail Spurge)which has an interesting structure along with one of the nicest flowers of any euphorbia.

Cheers,
MG
abgardeneer
18 years ago
For Photo 238, I'd suggest E. characias. Which other photos are in question?
As mentioned, E. polychroma is very hardy; it and E. myrsinites are both hardy here in zone 3, as is E. griffithii and E. cyparissias. I very much doubt that E. characias would be, and I haven't found E. amygdaloides to be hardy here, on a couple of tries.
den_vic
Original Author
18 years ago
I see this type of Euphorbia during winter in the city of Vancouver. This one is located near the Victoria Inner Harbour in James Bay. I saw several other kinds this week.

I talked to local gardeners removing stuff for winter or putting in winter plants. Two were from Ontario like myself. We find it amazing what little we knew as easterners about BC. I took geography in Ontario and Canadian flora was included. The course had obviously way too little content on BC. It was so generalized that it is actually sad to find how as easterners we were obsolutely ignorant about the BC coast and its potential. My gf is stunned seeing winter veggies. Some newbies are very surprised but are not complaining.

Keep on gardening...
Cheers

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Euphorbia

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