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

LOL! Mike, I've tried them all at one time or another. But I do have my preferences. The ones most commonly planted, at least in older urban/suburban gardens, are varieties of E. characias, usually the subspecies wulfenii. This can get huge, blooms early and has massive big flowerheads in that striking acid green/yellow color. Fully evergreen, it can self-seed a bit but seldom to the point of being a nuisance. There are various cultivars that offer some unique features, either compact size, variegated foliage or some unusual coloring in either foliage or flower color (the actual flowers are tiny, located in the center of the chartreuse bracts, often yellow-green themselves but infrequently a reddish maroon color). Personally, I think it's hard to beat any of the x martinii hybrids. These are crosses of E. characias and amygdaloides and often feature the best characteristics of both species. Smaller, compact plants, evergreen, sterile (usually) and offering a wide range of coloring. And because of the amygdaloides parentage, are more tolerant of shady conditions than characias. These also make excellent container plants. I also like some of the deciduous/herbaceous species - E. griffithii (spreads but moderately so and with stunning orange coloring to the bracts), honey spurge (E. mellifera), E. sikkimensis, E. wallichii. These often offer distinctly defined midribs on the leaves and variable stem or leaf coloring. These last few are not always hardy in our wet climate, hard to locate and may appeal mostly to collectors. One of the most useful ephorbs is E. robbiae. Quite hardy, very evergreen and very tolerant of dry shade. It can spread rather aggressively if it likes the conditions, but as a groundcover for dry, dark shade - like under conifers or decks, etc. - it is hard to beat. And I've not found removal of excess plants difficult. Ones that I would not grow again are the cypress spurge of this post, E. amygdaloides (prone to powdery mildew), E. dulcis 'Chameleon' (an incredible pest!) or E. seguieriana, which just looks messy most of the time. I also have reservations about planting donkey tail spurge or E. myrsinites - it is considered invasive in some areas of the state (Class C noxious weed) and many nurseries no longer carry it. But it does look good in a rock garden situation or in a container with various succulent plants, which it suits in appearance. E. rigida may be a better choice with a similar appearance.

Every spring I have to trim my Firestick. No matter how much I cover it to protect it from the cold nights it will still get frost damage. I still cover it no matter what tho. I like to keep the damage at bay. The pic below is what happens after the black dries up. They become dry little pieces. The two little pieces below will just dry up and fall off. Usually doesn’t spread to the bigger trunk for some reason. I don’t prune yet because I think if I cut the old than the new fresh pieces will get frost damage too. Idk if that’s the right thought process, but it’s just what I do. Some years my plant will get tons of frost damage and others not too much. That’s why unfortunately I don’t think my plant could ever get ginormous because the cold is always cutting it back every year. Big trunk pieces get affected too. Sometimes rot will just stop when it hits new side growth. See how it’s stopped, but this I will cut today because I don’t want it to spread down the trunk just in case, but when it’s the little pieces like in the top two pics I leave those till it warms up.

I believe what causes irritation is the white latex goo that oozes out. Sounds like it’s the woody thorn that entered your skin, like a splinter. Keep the area clean and overtime the thorn should work it’s way out🙂.