Just as King Midas in Greek mythology turned whatever he touched to gold, so cushion spurge can turn your landscape golden in early spring. Although this long-lived, low-maintenance perennial (Euphorbia polychroma or E. epithymoides) has been around for years, many gardeners still aren't familiar with it. These plants add striking mounds of gold to your landscape in spring when little else is in bloom. Leaves turn green in summer, then red in fall.

Cushion spurge is a relative of the poinsettia, and as such, its showy "flowers" are not really flowers but actually modified leaves called bracts. Unlike most of its relatives, cushion spurge is quite hardy -- reliable to zone 4. But it grows best in cooler parts of zone 8, such as the Pacific Northwest. In the Southeast, it thrives only into zone 7 and grows best in shade. In other areas full sun is best. Plant seeds or transplants in well-drained soil. Once established, plants tolerate drought, and they'll readily self-sow in warm areas. Mounds may "open up" in late summer from excessive heat or as a sign that the plants need dividing.

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The Cushion Spurge has done really well in my zone 3a garden, it tolerates a wide range of climate changes, from the very hot in August to the very cold in January and it bounces back each spring. They do well with little care, do not over water.

Handling the plant may cause skin irritation in some individuals, I have not had any problem to date.

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I reliably get two blooms from this low-maintenance plant -- one in early spring, the second in mid-summer. The greenish-yellow bracts make a nice complement to purples or reds and provide a nice filler in front of taller plants that can get straggly around their feet. I have not had any problem with the latex on this variety, although I do break out in a rash with other euphorbias (Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias 'Fen's Ruby') in particular).

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