Hi Carol: I'm in 9a too, but near the border with 9b. Diamond Frost has been a staple in my garden since May 2007. As you mentioned, the delicate white flowers look like baby's breath and complement so many plants.

I purchased only one plant but have added several more via cuttings. I've also noticed that the plant willingly roots at stem nodes that lay against the ground.

It's a definite perennial for me without any special protection; all plants have returned from one year to the next.

I can confirm that the plant is drought tolerant. Some of my plants are in full sun and others in part and I see no performance differences. I have sandy soil and most of the plants are very slightly elevated. However, there is one plant that is in a somewhat lower area and right now, with the monsoons we've had for the past weeks, it's nearly sitting in water - doesn't faze it!

I've never seen a pest or disease and (I hesitate to say this for fear of a jinx) the rabbits don't eat it either!

I've only grown the Diamond Frost. It was the only game in town in '07 and it hasn't given me reason to switch.

If you like the plant, go for it. I think you'll be pleased.

June

June,

Thank you for your time and the info. It sounds like it has done really well for you!

I really think I want one of these. In my research, I found a few various posts from folks in zones 8a and 8b who said that it overwintered for them and came back the next year! The advice was as long as you don't cut it back, it will come back the next year. So I am going to try it - and try to keep a few rooted cuttings in reserve in case it doesn't come back. (Seems like I am going to have a lot of cuttings to overwinter next winter. Ugh.)

Carol

It's a year later, I finally got Diamond Frost! June (or anyone else who has this), how much sun can it take? I have read varying reports. I'm thinking part sun, part shade. But the "part sun" would be full sun for half of the day. Can it tolerate that?

Thanks!
Carol

I grow both Diamond Frost and Breathless White. Mine are in full blazing hot sun in a container on the patio from sunup to sundown... and they look exactly the same as when I grew them in morning sun only. (They complained a bit at the move, then recovered) This Spring had a few frosts that killed it back a bit, but it's recovering with satisfying speed. Agree that it roots ridiculously easily from cuttings. This is one of my favorite plants!

Thanks, SS. Every single report I have read says it is an A+, easy, reliable plant the entire season, roots super-easy, and can take any kind of sun and water/lack of water you want to throw at it. This is starting to remind me of my other favorite Euporbia, Euphorbia milii (crown of thorns), which is very similar.

Carol

It's funny you picked that as an example, because both times I've tried to grow Crown of Thorns, it just turns to mush and dies.
My favorite Euphorbias are this one and 'Firesticks.'

I live in Sacramento, zone 9, and am looking for a perennial that I can plant as ground cover with white flowers, in FS, preferably the longest blooming one I can find. Any suggestions?

Is this what I recently bought.

Clearance at lowes for either a dollar or 50 cent, i bought 2 lil white flowery things, i thought they were frilly light plants and the price was right!

That's really pretty, and I love white flowers. I'm finding that I need to talk to local gardeners instead of trusting what plant sites say. Plus, this climate change thing is affecting temperatures so radically, it's hard to tell what will grow where anymore. I have tropical hibiscus happily growing and blooming here, as well as bananas, and everything I read says they should not live through the winter. Everyone I talk to says they die back and then come out in the spring, so local info is usually best.