The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Perennials => Topic started by: John on October 30, 2011, 05:18:15 PM
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Some of you will know of my interest in this genus. Over the years I have been photographing them in cultivation and throughout the Mediterranean. I originally saw E. serrata as a dormant plant on Mallorca in the autumn and was pleased to find it in great quantity in Catalonia last May. It has a quiet charm and distinct leaves which are as its name suggests serrated. Here it is growing with Bituminaria bituminosa. No doubt someone will say this has changed its name again!
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Here's another picture of Euphorbia serrata which shows the serrate leaf margins better.
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Taken on the same trip to Catalonia Euphorbia characias subsp. characias with it's green bracts and dark glands. Subtle compared to E. characias subsp. wulfenii but still very nice and easy to grow.
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This one is a tiny euphorbia which was given to me last year by an English friend who couldn't remember the botanical name.
It is so small (less than 5 centimeters high) that I almost missed it; I discovered it today under a much larger E. rigida, and I suddenly recalled having planted it there last year.
I am sure the MGS Forum wizards will soon provide its real name.
Thanks in advance,
Jean
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It looks like Euphorbia cyparissias Fens Ruby to me.
Daisy :)
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You are probably right about it being 'Fens Ruby' though there is a similar cultivar called 'Clarice Howard'. It is very beautiful but Jean take care as it can be an invasive little creature! It will also get taller as it developes. 'Fens Ruby' around 30cm and 'Clarice Howard' to around 40cm.
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At the RHS Tatton show I saw this display of various plants from the national collections on the Plant Heritage stand. Centre stage were Euphorbia, many of which are of a Mediterranean origin. One of our introductions was just to the left of the central information sign. Euphorbia characias subspecies characias 'Portuguese Velvet'. These plants were from Don Witton's collection. Other plants here include Hedera cultivars from Fibrex. Acanthus from Hillview and Corokia from Greens Leaves.
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Oh euphorbias, I love them! In the picture below you see a slope near road full with E. characias subsp. wulfenii. They just grace the place (also I think you can use them in steep rock gardens as they are fairly chasmophytic in nature).
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FiQsKxRMt5Y/UAlf4KcjoUI/AAAAAAAAA-4/GZ1JjzGeYB4/s619/Euphorbia%2520characias%25203.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GNvyRJBUzUI/UAlf3F6g32I/AAAAAAAAA-w/Oh8P0W_PVaw/s931/Euphorbia%2520characias.jpg)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MP3OrSiLhag/UAlf12ajnhI/AAAAAAAAA-o/Ug68qtAM5NE/s620/Euphorbia%2520characias%25202.jpg)
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Can you tell us where they were taken?
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Yes of course; the location is very close to Athens University campus (Panepistimioupolis Zografou), at the western foot of Mt. Hymettus
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Wonderful Euphorbias, Bolanthus!
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Thanks for the location. Here's the same subspecies. E. characias subsp. wulfenii taken in the Mediterranean part of Montenegro on our trip there this May.
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Thanks for the location. Here's the same subspecies. E. characias subsp. wulfenii taken in the Mediterranean part of Montenegro on our trip there this May. By this time the yellow has mellowed and it is in full fruit but still looks good.
Added this bit on but created another posting!
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Oh, lovely! I adore Euphorbias now, but they are probably the best example of a plant that I changed my mind about. I well remember watching an episode of Gardener's World in the mid-90's, showcasing the burgeoning fashion for the genus, and I found them hideously ugly and couldn't see the point. As the years passed and my training and work allowed me to meet them "in person", as it were, they completely won me over. It is apparently, as many of you surely know, the genus that contains the most individual species.
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A mention about verges elsewhere has prompted me to post this. On Montseny, north of Barcelona the road verges were very rich habitats with several Euphorbia species particualarly happy there. This population of Euphorbia villosa was the only one I encountered and only in the verge. In the general photo you can just make out a few Aquilegia vulgaris which again was most prominent in verge habitats. This was the only place that I also came across Pulmonaria longifolia (third picture). I mention this because due to maintenance all of the verges in the park were strimmed clean a process that was making its way up to this site. I was fortunate to get to these when I did as a week later they were all strimmed down. This would not have killed them but does prevent them from seedling and at a time they are at their best!
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Lovely picture of the pulmonaria!
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Thanks, not the Euphorbias?
Also on Montseny were a few limited populations of Euphorbia characias subsp. characias with admittedly rather dull bracts and well past flowering in May and in fruit.
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This little weed introduced itself to me, and I allowed it to stay. So far (a year now), it has been well behaved. It is native in Cyprus.
It forms a very thin carpet of tiny leaves and tinier flowers, and although it grows better with moisture, it is OK without.
In these photos, you can see it filling crevies between rocks as well as spreading (which keeps the dust down). The petunia provides some scale.
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Yes I think it's a charming little plant which you will never be without now! Surprisingly though I have seen this on Crete it was only once or twice. No doubt it will be common there in places I have missed it. On Mallorca it was common but often affected by this rust which disfigured it and caused it to produce upright growths.
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Curious. Perhaps evolved as an aid to spore dispersal? Who knows.
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Does anyone grow E. griffithii 'Fireglow'?. One of the most beautiful euphorbias in my opinion. I have tried three times here but the last one has just succumbed......so disappointing. I am going to have one more try!
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Yes E. griffithii is lovely but is perhaps more of a colder temperate climate than you have and it can be quite invasive in some situations. If you have a pond try growing it as a marginal but with it's root crown out of the water where it may be happier.
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Fireglow grows well for us here in Sussex (as does a stronger but greener E. griffithii that I raised from seed from the Sikkim Himalayas), but I wouldn't fancy its chances in our hot Greek garden.
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Well, my garden is quite shady, lots of dappled shade and that is where I planted the last one. It has been watered every day now in July. But I think perhaps its the alkaline soil that it doesn't like.I can't seem to find its specific soil requirements. Other euphobias eg E. myrsinities, E. rigida
E. characias ‘Wulfenii’, E. pithyusa all grow really well here.
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The big difference between those and E. griffithii is that it is Himalayan and they are Mediterranean.
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Help please with identifying this wonderful plant, does really well here but takes some time to get going - and then suckers !
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Hi Rosie,
I'm afraid your photo is too small,
any chance of uploading a bigger photo?, or you can send it to my email address.
Oron
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Rosie, in your heading you imply that it might be from Mexico. Have you tried E. antisyphilitica?
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Sounds by its growth habit like Euphorbia xanti.
We have an expert for the genus in the forum, surely he will help ;)
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I have looked up both David's and Oron's suggested names on google images and I am going with E. xanti. It does run and it has a very loose habit and the flowers look right too. Yippee, another one nailed. thanks very much to one and all.
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Who's the Euphorbia expert?
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Mr. Fielding, you probably know him...
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Ho! I thought you must have meant someone else. I suppose I am aspiring to be an expert on this subject but wouldn't say I am.
Here from the same group as Rosies is E. antisyphilitica which I took on our trip to Israel.
Perhaps this thread should be attached to the Euphorbia thread.
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Perhaps this thread should be attached to the Euphorbia thread.
Done
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It is really amazing how this group of Euphorbia produce their inflorescences to mimic a true flower
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Just out of interest do any of you grow Euphorbia canariensis out in the open garden? I'm sure some do but probably only in coastal frost free areas.
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Although I personally do not grow E. canariensis, some of my neighbours do.
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Thanks for letting me know. I thought it would be interesting to see where it is cultivated. You say you only get down to 5ºC so it isn't surprising if it is happy in your area.
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Anyone else had experience with E. canariensis?
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Here's a picture of it from seed last year. though it isn't going to do too well in a London garden.
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Euphorbia lathyris? Does anyone have an opinion or comment about this plant which seems to have the common name 'caper spurge'. On the one hand I read that it is useful in repelling moles (I hope that includes voles). On the other hand The warnings about its potential to be a pest are rather dire. I am looking at a current seed list. It looks attractive.
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If happy it can be very weedy. Though it isn't a perennial only biennial but will seed around it would partly depend on how diligent you are at weeding out those you don't want!
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I think it is quite attractive - in small numbers - and often self-seeded plants crop up in the most unexpected places where they look most attractive but where one would never have envisaged planting them. Unlike some things this Euphorbia is easily pulled out when too prolific. As to its ability to deter moles.... I have never found anyone who could confirm this but......one never knows ???
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Thanks to John and Umbrian for advice. I'll try some seed and if it gerrminates take care to see that it remains inside the fence.
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Going back to John's question about E. canariensis, a Canary Islands euphorbia which we saw growing well in several places in Victoria and South Australia was Euphorbia bourgeana syn. lambii - top two pictures. But it was always in frost-free gardens.
The most popular euphorbia we saw there seemed to be Euphorbia characias 'Tasmanian Tiger', selected some 20 years ago in Tasmania. People growing it often just called it Tassie Tiger. It is available in Europe too. Bottom picture.
Yes folks, at last I'm getting back in action! I've missed you all....
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Yes, we have missed you too Alisdair, now it looks as if you are living up to your "title" - The Skivvy - and putting everything in order :) Look forward to more intersting postings about your trip.
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Thanks, Carol! (I've been really enjoying reading about your new place.)
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That Euphorbia bourgeana looks stunning growing as a standard, Alisdair.
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Yes it did - it was in Di and James Wark's lovely garden, in the Barossa Valley, Stonewell Farm.
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Cyprus. I have grown a species of Euphorbia which is allegedly from the Akamas region of Cyprus. The seeds came from rareplants.de as sp.001.
At nearly a year old and with some protection they have grown to about 60cm tall and have a couple of shoots at their base. They have the "feel" of Euphorbia characias but also seem different. The leaves are covered in a velvety down of hairs. No sign of buds developing on any of them.
I have just looked up what it could be in the Flora of Cyprus and am guessing that it is Euphorbia thompsonii which also occurs in Turkey. Mike can you confirm this or have any observations please?
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John, impossible to say from the photo but if it is one of the Euphorbia that grow in Cyprus then E thompsonii is the most likely. It occurs on the Akamas peninsular and in the region of Pissouri village (between Paphos and Limassol).
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OK thanks John.
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John, I concur.