code: 972
These plants were originally seedlings from ‘John Tomlinson’ an exceptional form
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Plant Classification: Hardy perennial
Minimum Height: 60 cm
Maximum Height: 90 cm
This outstanding and most attractive form produces imposing clumps of erect stems clad in narrow grey leaves terminating in large and almost spherical, football-sized heads of yellow-green flowers. These plants were originally seedlings from ‘John Tomlinson’ an exceptional form, with more rounded flowers. These imposing specimen plants will perform reliably where little else will thrive.
Sowing advice:
For best results, sow seeds immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. However, we sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, and often wait for spring before emerging regardless of when they are sown. But spring sowing will obviously give them a full season of growth if successful germination occurs.
Uses:
This plant also has uses in traditional medicine; like many other species of genus Euphorbia its toxic white and sticky sap has been used to treat skin excrescences, like cancers, tumors, and warts, since ancient times.
Spread: 1.50 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Greenish-yellow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy
Tolerate: Rabbit, Deer, Drought, Dry Soil, Air Pollution
Culture
Grow in dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Plants perform best in a Mediterranean-type climate, and may show stress in hot and humid summers. They must have sharply-drained soils. They dislike heavy clay. Plants generally have good drought tolerance, but appreciate some moisture in dry summer periods. Wet soils in winter can be fatal. Plants often decline after flowering. Cut flower stems off at the base after bloom to provide room for newly emerging stems. Plants are considered to be evergreen in warm winter areas. Plants are not reliably winter hardy in USDA Zone 6 (St. Louis) where, if attempted, they should be sited in protected locations.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Euphorbia characias is an upright euphorbia that is native to Southern Europe, the Balkans and Turkey. It typically grows on erect, woody-based, green stems to 3-4′ tall and to 3′ wide. Narrow, linear to obovate, blue-green leaves (to 5″ long) are spirally arranged along the stems. Each stem is topped in spring by a thick, bottlebrush-like inflorescense of greenish-yellow flowers. Individual flowers lack petals, but have showy, petal-like, greenish-yellow bracts (cyathium in the genus Euphorbia is defined as a cup-like involucre). Broken stems exude a white milky sap that is a skin irritant and poisonous.
Subsp. wulfenii differs from the species by growing shorter to only 2-3′ tall and by having more yellow in the flowers, darker purple on the glands and larger leaves.
Genus name probably honors Euphorbus, physician to the King of Mauretania.
