Spurges are fairly promiscuous, seeding themselves and often hybridising naturally.
Now, German biochemists offer more reason to handle
spurges with care.
Many of these weeds-such as leafy
spurge, Euphorbia esula L, and yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis-are thought to have originated in Europe and been brought here more than a century ago by immigrants who packed plants onto their ships when they set sail for America.
One of the best
spurges, which will thrive happily in shade, is euphorbia martinii, a hybrid between euphorbia amygdaloides, our native wood
spurge, and the glaucous Mediterranean euphorbia characias or wulfenii.
| Everyone needs a few snowdrops to gladden the heart in winter | Everyone needs a few snowdrops to gladden the heart in winter | Main picture by JONATHAN BUCKLEY | Main picture by JONATHAN BUCKLEY | Euphorbia amygdaloides | Euphorbia amygdaloides will thrive happily in shade, is Euphorbia martinii, a hybrid between Euphorbia amygdaloides, our native wood
spurge, and the glaucous Mediterranean Euphorbia characias or wulfenii.
From Turkey and the Middle East, where it grows on arid mountainsides, this
spurge has close-packed glaucous leaves, slightly pointed, which spiral thickly round its dangling stems.
THERE'S one part of my garden where, for years, nothing would grow except for a few optimistic weeds such as
spurge and dandelion - and even they were puny.
With this unique project, students learn about science while conducting research and attempting to control leafy
spurge, a noxious weed that is already ranked as one of the worst in the Northern Great Plains and Canada and that is threatening an even larger area.
If you have a well-established allotment, you may well have one of the weed euphorbias, commonly known as
spurges growing happily amongst your potatoes.
A 15 acre oasis in the heart of Edgbaston, you can stroll the grounds as well as visit the Tropical House, see the Venus flytraps and sundews in the Subtropical House, look at the cacti and
spurges in the Arid House and the fuchsias, coleus and shrubs in the tranquil Mediterranean House.
Then fill them with shade-loving plants with attractive foliage, such as bergenias,
spurges and ferns, between large shrubs such as cotoneaster and mahonia (rhododendrons and hostas if the soil is moist).
With more than 2,000 species and countless cultivars from almost every corner of the planet, this genus of
spurges must be one of the most adaptable plants.
Decorate fences with climbers to hide the boundaries and lift narrow borders out of the gloom with plants with attractive foliage such as hostas,
spurges and ferns.
From Turkey and the Middle East where it grows on arid mountainsides, this
spurge has close packed glaucous leaves, slightly pointed, which spiral thickly around its dangling stems.
From Turkey and the Middle East where it grows on arid mountainsides, this
spurge has closepacked glaucous leaves, slightly pointed, which spiral thickly around its dangling stems.
