General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Plant Height: 1 foot
Plant Spread: 12-18 inches
Flowers: Showy
Other: In the genus Euphorbia, the flowers are reduced in size and aggregated into a cluster of flowers called a cyathium (plural cyathia). This feature is present in every species of the genus Euphorbia but nowhere else in the plant kingdom.
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Time: Spring
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Uses: Groundcover
Will Naturalize
Dynamic Accumulator: B (Boron)
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Other: Sap from all parts of Euphorbias should be considered toxic
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Other: Considered invasive in some locations
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots

Image
Common names
  • Cypress Spurge
  • Graveyard Moss
  • Bonaparte's Crown
  • Euphorbia

Photo Gallery
Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2014-04-03
Budding, just starting to open
Location: Twisp
Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2014-03-13
Emerging in spring
Location: Belmont garden
Date: 2010-0420
Very bright sign of spring
Location: Kitchen hosta garden - morning sun only.
Date: 2009-0506
Good front of the border for me but invasive for others.
Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2011-06-13

Date: 2012-03-13
March
Location: Twisp
Location: Belmont garden
Date: 2014-0412
Location: Purdue gardens Indiana  zone 5
Date: 2015-08-01
Location: Orem, Utah
Date: 2012-04-04
At Cooks Nursery

Courtesy Crownsville Nursery
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: Twisp
Location: Kitchen hosta garden - morning sun only.
Date: 2008-0601
Newly planted.
Location: Tennessee
Date: 2013-05-30

Photo Courtesy of Lazy S'S Farm Nursery.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Belmont garden
Date: 2014-0428
Location: My garden
Date: 2014-08-11
Summer coloring
Location: Purdue gardens Indiana  zone 5
Date: 2015-08-01
Location: My garden
Date: 2014-09-08

Courtesy Crownsville Nursery
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: West Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2019-08-09
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2011-10-13
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2012-02-28
New growth
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Apr 18, 2008 11:14 AM
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Jun 24, 2013 9:16 AM concerning plant:
    Use caution when introducing this to your gardens. It is not an invasive species in the Pacific NW that I have been able to discern, and I have not had it get away from me, but be forewarned that it multiplies rapidly and robustly. That said, I find it a very nice filler - it has nice color from early emergence through fall, with yellow flowers midsummer. Blends well with other plants, and is less than a foot tall (shorter in drier regions). It is easy to pull where not wanted, which is always a saving grace for me. A tell-tale comment from a nurseryman when I commented about it to a friend was, 'You purposely planted that in your garden??' Which made me wonder why they were selling it...

    Edit: it has now gotten a bit too aggressive for my liking, and I'm in the process of trying to eradicate it from a rockery area. So far, no luck. I've pulled it all clean, trying to get the roots, but it simply reclaimed the area. I'll continue to pull it, although it does lend a soft look to the boulders. I'm guessing it will be a time intensive project to slowly get rid of it all.

    Another caution is its milky sap may irritate skin. I cut some back while still in bloom to discourage reseeding and ended up with a rash up both arms to my elbows. It was not terrible and went away in a few days, but others might react differently.
  • Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Oct 21, 2011 5:01 AM concerning plant:
    According to the USDA, this widespread plant can become a noxious weed and potentially invasive in numerous locations and is banned in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
  • Posted by pirl (Southold, Long Island, NY - Zone 7a) on Oct 13, 2014 11:50 AM concerning plant:
    Propagation by division in spring.

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