Euphorbia

[Hoy]

Euphorbia is a huge genus with everything from small rock garden plants to big trees.
E. cyparissias can be used as groundcover in dry areas flowering in April-May.

[Lori S.]

I find E. cyparassias to be a very attractive plant... so colourful in spring - as your picture shows - burgundy with a splash of yellow flowers, then turning to a feathery-textured green later on.
Mine would be starting to bloom now... if I hadn't dug them out last weekend!    (Unfortunately, it is quite invasive here, and was starting to scare me with its 10' diameter spread, and fine roots!  It seems to love to come up in the crowns of other plants.)  I don't fool myself that I actually got it all in one effort... it will be coming up for years, and I may put some in a pot to continue to enjoy.  It is not so spready there, though, I think?

1, 2) Euphorbia cyparassias

Here's another beautiful euphorbia, E. griffithii 'Fireglow'.  Right now, the fiery-red shoots are just poking out of the ground, so these photos are from later in the season - wonderful fall colour!

3, 4, 5) Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow'

Trond, you must be able to grow a lot of the more tender ones that I always wish I could grow here!

[Hoy]

I find E. cyparassias to be a very attractive plant... so colourful in spring - as your picture shows - burgundy with a splash of yellow flowers, then turning to a feathery-textured green later on.
Mine would be starting to bloom now... if I hadn't dug them out last weekend!    (Unfortunately, it is quite invasive here, and was starting to scare me with it's 10' diameter spread, and fine roots!  It seems to love to come up in the crowns of other plants.)  I don't fool myself that I actually got it all in one effort... it will be coming up for years, and I may put some in a pot to continue to enjoy.  It is not so spready there, though, I think?

1, 2) Euphorbia cyparassias

Here's another beautiful euphorbia, E. griffithii 'Fireglow'.  Right now, the fiery-red shoots are just poking out of the ground, so these photos are from later in the season - wonderful fall colour!

3, 4, 5) Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow'

Trond, you must be able to grow a lot of the more tender ones that I always wish I could grow here!

Lori,
I have to admit E. cyparassias is rather invasive so I have put it between the road and some shrubs hoping to contain it there.
I grow the 'Fireglow' too and a few others but I have not tried all I wish - it is so many plants waiting to be tested in my garden!

[Todd Boland]

I have what is suppose to be cyparassias but mine is plain green from the start..not that attractive burgundy...and it runs like crazy...I have torn out most of it.

[Lori S.]

Here are a couple of forms of the justifiably popular Euphorbia polychroma, a very well-behaved species, only seeding around a bit...  This will be a fairly common sight in gardens around here soon, although they are just emerging now.
1) Euphorbia polychroma
2, 3) And an attractive dark-foliaged cultivar, Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire'

[Lori S.]

Here is Euphorbia capitulata, definitely a rock garden-sized species, that is native to Albania, the former Yugoslavia and Greece.
(PS   I don't claim to be growing it terribly well, though I am impressed that it's been hardy over a few years now.  I'll try to remember to post a better photo later (to help you all forget this one!))

[McDonough]

I believe this to be a most interesting thread because it is useful to discuss genera like Euphorbia, one containing many attractive species, but some of the most notoriously aggressive ones too.  So, I am taking notes here, for the ones that seem well behaved compared to others.  I do not have any Euphorbia in the garden currently, but polychroma 'Bonfire' and E. griffithii 'Fireglow' are now on my list.

[Hoy]

I believe this to be a most interesting thread because it is useful to discuss genera like Euphorbia, one containing many attractive species, but some of the most notoriously aggressive ones too.  So, I am taking notes here, for the ones that seem well behaved compared to others.  I do not have any Euphorbia in the garden currently, but polychroma 'Bonfire' and E. griffithii 'Fireglow' are now on my list.

I can recommend both! (Not flowering yet here.) The 'Fireglow' runs a little and the runners are deep in the soil and tough to cut.