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Apr 1, 2014 12:30 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jennifer
48036 MI (Zone 6b)
Cottage Gardener Houseplants Spiders! Heucheras Frogs and Toads Dahlias
Hummingbirder Sedums Winter Sowing Peonies Region: Michigan Celebrating Gardening: 2015
This winter was so brutal on my Euphorbia Ascot's Rainbow and Blackbird. The year before was pretty mild and the plants came thru looking just slightly beat up. I trimmed a tiny bit here and there but mostly left them intact. But this year they are majorly brown and crunchy! All three were buried in the snow until just recently. I know both are slightly outside my zone 6. So maybe I just have to write them off. But the stems do seem to have some green in them near the base.

Does anyone know if I can prune them back hard and they will live? (I know I CAN prune them back hard....just worried they will REALLY be dead then Rolling on the floor laughing )
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Apr 1, 2014 12:55 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I would prune them back hard. Try scratching around the crown of the plant and see if you spot any sign of new growth. It should be present now, or soon in your zone. Mine always get cut back to the crown and always grow beautifully. Since you have doubts about them I don't think you can hurt them by pruning away last year's stems.
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Apr 1, 2014 8:51 PM CST
(Zone 6a)
I would prune them back hard as well. I find that if I don't prune mine, they're never very shapely for the rest of the year. Same thing for E. myrsinites. Wear gloves, some euphorbs have latex that irritates the skin in some people. I am not one of them, I just don't like the sticky goop all over me.
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Apr 2, 2014 11:12 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jennifer
48036 MI (Zone 6b)
Cottage Gardener Houseplants Spiders! Heucheras Frogs and Toads Dahlias
Hummingbirder Sedums Winter Sowing Peonies Region: Michigan Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Well, the more reading I've been doing my Euphorbias should be ok. Most places rate them down to Zone 5. Perhaps I just won't see new growth until it warms up. It is unseasonably cold here, even for April.
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Apr 2, 2014 11:16 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I'll go check mine right now.
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Apr 2, 2014 1:35 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
They're so tiny right now - maybe 1/4" to 1/2". New growth is red.

When I download the photos I'll add one to this thread.
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Apr 2, 2014 1:40 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jennifer
48036 MI (Zone 6b)
Cottage Gardener Houseplants Spiders! Heucheras Frogs and Toads Dahlias
Hummingbirder Sedums Winter Sowing Peonies Region: Michigan Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I check my gardens every day. I will keep an eye out.
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Apr 2, 2014 2:07 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Be prepared for the worst photo you've seen today!
Thumb of 2014-04-02/pirl/63ce33
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Apr 2, 2014 2:11 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jennifer
48036 MI (Zone 6b)
Cottage Gardener Houseplants Spiders! Heucheras Frogs and Toads Dahlias
Hummingbirder Sedums Winter Sowing Peonies Region: Michigan Celebrating Gardening: 2015
So Arlene, do you cut yours back in the fall?
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Apr 2, 2014 2:13 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I do. Sometimes I may miss one or two but then I get them in the spring.
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Apr 4, 2014 5:46 AM CST
Name: Susan
Virginia (Zone 8a)
God is the only thing that matters.
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Level 1 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Hibiscus Dragonflies Daylilies
Bee Lover Dahlias Butterflies Hostas Birds Lilies
Great information, I am planing on adding more of these. They are so beautiful!
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Mat.6:28-29
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Apr 13, 2014 9:59 AM CST
Name: Carole
Clarksville, TN (Zone 6b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages Plant Identifier I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Avid Green Pages Reviewer
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Garden Ideas: Master Level Cat Lover Birds Region: Tennessee Echinacea
pirl said:I do. Sometimes I may miss one or two but then I get them in the spring.


I'm afraid my 'Blackbird' didn't make it. I think maybe too much water and not enough sun. We'll see. I might see it yet but I don't think so.
I garden for the pollinators.
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Apr 13, 2014 10:02 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Sorry! I hate losing plants I love (but plants I could happily live without, such as Lamium, grow so well).
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Apr 13, 2014 10:50 AM CST
Name: Carole
Clarksville, TN (Zone 6b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages Plant Identifier I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Avid Green Pages Reviewer
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Garden Ideas: Master Level Cat Lover Birds Region: Tennessee Echinacea
Well, isn't that the truth. It's a Murphy's Law truism, I think. I have Euphorbia polychroma planted right next to the E. 'Blackbird' and it is doing just fine. It's green and doesn't look like it was bothered a bit by the winter weather.
I garden for the pollinators.
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Apr 13, 2014 11:58 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jennifer
48036 MI (Zone 6b)
Cottage Gardener Houseplants Spiders! Heucheras Frogs and Toads Dahlias
Hummingbirder Sedums Winter Sowing Peonies Region: Michigan Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Tee, sorry to hear about your Black Bird. Mine looks dead too. But one of my Ascot's Rainbow is alive and the second one is probably too. So better than I expected.

My mom has trouble growing lamium! I just gave her more to try again. I sure have plenty
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Apr 13, 2014 12:06 PM CST
Name: Carole
Clarksville, TN (Zone 6b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages Plant Identifier I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Avid Green Pages Reviewer
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Garden Ideas: Master Level Cat Lover Birds Region: Tennessee Echinacea
Thanks, Jennifer.

I also have 'Tasmanian Tiger' not looking too good and I'm hoping that one survives.

This is 'Tasmanian Tiger' with the E. polychroma and you can just see a bit of the 'Blackbird' to the left.

I garden for the pollinators.
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Apr 13, 2014 1:10 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Your Tasmanian Tiger is so gorgeous!
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Apr 13, 2014 1:15 PM CST
Name: Carole
Clarksville, TN (Zone 6b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages Plant Identifier I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Avid Green Pages Reviewer
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Garden Ideas: Master Level Cat Lover Birds Region: Tennessee Echinacea
Thanks, pirl. I sure would hate it if I lost that one. It's one of my favorites.
I garden for the pollinators.
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Apr 21, 2014 12:46 PM CST
Plants Admin Emeritus
Name: Evan
Pioneer Valley south, MA, USA (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member Aroids Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Tropicals Vermiculture
Foliage Fan Bulbs Hummingbirder Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Composter Plant Identifier
I lost most of my Ascot Rainbow winter 2012/13 but it came back gangbusters. It didn't quite reach it's previous size but it did well.
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