Susan is also blogging at GardenRant.Euphorbia amygdaloides / Wood Spurge
All my garden visitors comment on this plant, which looks this good all year, in high shade. Yes, it's evergreen, something that can't be said for very many perennials.
It came to my garden as a freebie seedling from a garden designer friend and quickly multiplied so that a year later there were exactly 10. So if you want something that fills out — in shade, no less, and is also evergreen — this may be the one for you.
Native to woodland edges in Europe, Central Asia and the Mediterranean.
Details
- Chartreuse-colored flowerheads float above the stunning foliage.
- Prefers partial or high shade.
- Supposedly needs rich soil, but mine is unimproved.
Care
- It's self-supporting (no need to hack back to prevent flopping).
- If you don't want it to procreate, it's easy enough to remove the flowers before they set seed; or just easily remove the seedlings you don't want. They're not exactly thugs.
Good Information in Print
- The Well Tended Perennial Garden
by Tracy DiSabato-Aust is the best-selling book on how to make your perennials healthier and better-looking. - Encyclopedia of Perennials
by Graham Rice is exhaustive and an outstanding general resource on the subject. - The Complete Flower Gardener
by Cutler and Ellis is another source I consult regularly.
Location Matters
My garden is in the Washington, D.C. area, Zone 7A. If you have comments about this plant you'd like to see included here, send 'em along.