Check out Euphorbia corollata. I'll have to take a picture of it. Its really pretty with small white flowers.

Be carefull of "Fens Ruby" This is a cool looking little plant, but incredibly invasive. I would keep it in a pot, or between two cement walls, if I had it to do over again. if you could contain it, though, it looks nice, as well Ive seen a new one lately called Tazmainan, its a mid size, White, cream, slightly less invasive one(Ive been told) it looks pretty good in the nursery, but I dont know any one who has bought one.

I wish I had a better photo of Euphorbia cotinifolia for you. Its leaves are lovely when the light shines through them. It would be an annual in your zone.
{{gwi:262922}}

crocosmia-\Great Pic!!! Thanks for the inspiration.

Gigi

Great combination Crocosmia--I love it. I've grown that smoke-bush Euphorbia for a few years now and really like it (though I've never created as great a plant combination as you have). That being said, have you, or anyone reading along, had success taking cuttings from it? If so, how did you do it? I've tried water and soil and have met with nothing but failure, grumble grumble.

I've searched online but all I ever see are references from cold-winter areas saying "frost is approaching, time to propagate your E. cotinifolia plants" but they never say specifically how. I'd love to make successful cuttings.

I've had great luck with cuttings from Euphorbia wulfenii 'Tasmanian tiger' cuttings, but I just can't seem to get the smoke bush type to work out.

In any case, great combination and pic--it's inspiring!
Take care,
Grant

Great picture, crocosmia! That's exactly what I imagine my place to look like. I can't wait until it's time to sow all these seeds I'm getting so I can have a garden that looks like that!!!! (How disappointed am I going to be when my garden doesn't actually look like that next year????) If your Euphorbia is an annual here in Indiana, then isn't it an annual for you, too? Do you grow it from seeds?

Grant, instead of making cuttings, couldn't you grow it from seed? I bought Tasmanian Tiger from Bluestone this year -- it had two stems, but one was dead when I got it and the second one died about 3 days later. I ought to write them, but I kill a lot of the stuff I get from them because I actually plant it instead of growing it on in larger containers. but thisone was a premium size and should have lived. Soil, light, everything was GREAT!

Dogg, I'll stay away from Fern's Ruby - well, maybe. I'll think about it -- it actually sounds pretty. -- I was wondering if it might not be hardy here...or if the cold weather might take a little of the aggressiveness out of it?
The only reason I am saying that is because of the name 'ruby' -- if the red ones might be less-hardy (going back to the picture and text saying it wouldn't be hardy here.)

That having been said, I think euphorbias are neat-o keen. I have a gas stove, and when I sear the stems, the cut foliage lasts a long time as filler. I never have enough filler!

Bluestone also has one called Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon'. Does anybody grow it?

Thanks for all the replies,
Lime

Lime,

I too am a fan of euphorbias, I have Polychroma, from Bluestone actually, and though it seemed only one of the three survived, I've not got it coming up in other places in the garden (which I don't mind). I also got Euphorbia Cyparissias (Cypress Spurge) from Bluestone, and that one will definitely take over the world (or at least your lawn). I like it, but am always yanking it. It's good for filler, but has no compunction about growing up and in and around anything in its path....

Amy

Fun to hear about others who really like the spurge-type Euphorbias. I've been a huge fan of E. characias for years and have grown it in all of my recent gardens (even down during my tenure in Phoenix).

Lime, my E. cotinifolia has never made seeds. I guess that would be a way to increase it. Has anyone else's made seeds? Or do you take cuttings (and how?)? Or do you over winter your plants? Or just purchase new ones each year? E. cotinifolia was fully hardy in Phoenix, but I doubt it will survive here in Seattle.

My current garden has several flavors of spurge type euphorbias, but being a variegated nut, 'Tasmanian tiger' is my favorite (and easy from August-made cuttings).

You all are giving me a craving to try more of the annual types. Time to start checking the mail box for catalogs! :)

Take care,
Grant

Lime,
I'm very interested in knowing more about Euphorbias. Haven't had a chance to try any yet. Thanks for this interesting post!

Patti (PS, I see there is a message for you in Conversations to which you haven't replied.)

The spurges are an amazing collection of plants - ones that I wouldn't be without in my garden. I collect euphorbias and have perhaps two dozen different ones in various locations as well as in containers.

Unfortunately for colder zone climates, most will not be hardy for you and must be treated as annuals. As some of you have noted, many will take easily from cuttings and others will reseed rather freely (several species are on our noxious weed warning lists), but because of their seed structure, they tend to be difficult to collect before they ripen and propel themselves in unwanted areas. Most of those that do tend to be hardy in colder zones are herbaceous and have a somewhat aggressive nature in the way they spread - E. polychroma (cushion spurge) tends to be better behaved than most and offers fall color as well as early spring blooms.

In my climate, I lean to those that are evergreen or that retain their foliage throught the year. They come in a wide range of forms and foliage colors, but all sport those distinctive, very bright colored bracts that generally pass for flowers. As Dan Hinkley from Heronswood Nursery once said, "you simply can't have too many euphorbias"!

I bought the E. cotinifolia as six small plants at a wonderful school plant sale we have every year here in St. Paul. I, too, cannot find anyone to tell me how to take cuttings, so I was planning to dig up one or more and bring the whole plant in for the winter. And beg the plant sale people to sell it again, in case that doesn't work out.

I have Euphorbia 'Chameleon' too and it does live through the winter here and also makes several seedlings -- however it always seems to seed itself in the most moronic places, such as under a hollyhock.

Hi Crocosmia and all,

Thanks for the follow up. Keep us posted on how the wintering-over does. I wintered one of mine over the first year down in Phoenix and it did fine indoors, though it lost most of the red coloring. Once I put it back outside though, it turned red again.

I tried cuttings in just about everything you can imagine (soil, sand, water, vermiculite, perlite, rooting gel, and combinations of the above) and met with nothing but failure, and a slow one at that as the cuttings hold on a long time before failing. I'll keep trying though, focusing on different times of year and thickness/age of stem cuttings. Grrrr, lol.

Hey, by the way, what variety is that red daylily in your pic? It's just smashing!

Take care,
Grant