I was googling online about this very subject and was pleased to find this topic. Though I'm still unsure of answer. I purchased 3 of these from Santa Rosa Gardens when they were on sale. Then, upon recieving them, I started researching and getting conflicting info. Online,after a lot of browsing, sources state EVERYTHING from hardiness to zone 5, 6, 6B (whatever that is) to zone 7. The tag with the plants SEEMS to say hardy to minus 10 degrees, though it's hard to make out, as the "minus" sign in front of the 10 almost appears like a smudge. However, the site I got it from (Santa Rosa Gardens states zone 6). I'm growing in 3 pots for now, but would love to place in the ground. Consequently, would hate to lose them in our zone 6 winters (SW PA). Some plants I don't care if they may perish, others I like more... it must be novelty. It's SO hard for me to believe that one plant can be listed in so many diffferent sources as so many diff. hardiness zones. I always tend to plan for an unusually cold, nasty winter.. that may happen. I guess I could always dig up in late autumn and place in pots to store in protected area (basement). I do love the looks of this plant, and hey... if they must stay in pots, so be it. I'll be interested further on in more info about hardiness as it becomes more available. I also think of additional winter protection if they were in ground, but don't want to rot or otherwise harm a plant that doesn't seem to appreciate excessive moisture. I know my response to this is outdated, as compared to the original posts here.

I wouldn't know how to best trim this type of plant, but I would think it would be possible to gradually get them to grow straight w/ a stake and thread/rope/twisty ties, etc. Also, trimming almost any Euphorbia species can be a dangerous task. I'm not sure if you are already familiar with this, but just in case: Euphorbias have turgid bodies that contain mildly- to severely-caustic latex sap. Penetrating the stems or roots of the plants can cause the latex to burst out. One of the consequences of getting this on one's skin or in one's eyes is often excruciating pain. There's a site that speaks about all this: http://www.theamateursdigest.com/epoisons.htm I do wish you the best in your efforts to straighten your plant! -Kaegen

I don't have 'winter blush' but I don't that matters. E. rigida spews out seed quite a distance. I like this because it elevates it from being in the specimen plant category into the inexpensive and good useful landscape plant category. I get lots of seedlings and take full advantage of their tendency to spew seed and make me a lot of free volunteers. That pin oak tree next door planted next to our driveway now has a Euphorbia ground cover interspersed with some blue sedum and another kind that turns yellow in winter. I just took volunteers as I found them and plunked them into that hard dirt along with several handfuls of sedum alternating colors/textures. Below is one of the original mothers, I dug several up that were growing in a dry ditch in NM (not native). Its planted in hard clay at the end of that wall by the sidewalk, next to it (not shown in picture) is Gregg Dalea. Both are low blue ground cover plants good for tough spots and they really compliment each other visually. I started thinking you could do a whole difficult bank in Gregg Dalea, Euphrobia rigida, Fringed Sage, sedum, a good multiplying cluster of Agave parryi & Valerie Finis Artemisia and have a gorgeous tapestry of blue with several contrasting textures going on. Add in the E. Ascot for some pizzazz and you'd have something tough and pretty that would fill in real fast. I'm making use of all of them in my silver garden but they would definitely be top on the list of my choices on a dry bank as 'plant them, never have to water them and forget them' plants. Mara, if you order anything from SRG, I recommend you grab one of those E. 'Ascot Rainbow' plants, I wish I'd gotten at least 3. I'm wondering if it seeds or can be started from cuttings? anyone know? I bought the E. 'Ascot Rainbow' from SRG last fall. Its bright YELLOW in winter making it an excellent winter interest plant. Its planted next to the Valerie Finnis you sent me and ..... WOW!

Every spring this plant looks beautiful, blooming, full & healthy - when June/July rolls around, I'm thinking 'is it dead'? It thins out so badly it looks like reeds sticking out of the ground - some I just pull up and yes, they do seem to be dead. It'll come back pretty next Spring - but what the heck am I doing wrong - I'm sure its not suppose to look that awful during the summer!?! Oh, I'm in Zone 7b/8a.