Scientific Name:
Euphorbia characias
Pronunciation:
you-FOR-bee-uh kare-AH-see-as
Common Name:
Mediterranean spurge
Family Name:
Euphorbiaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Groups of thick basal stems, when broken, plant exudes white sap that may irritates skin; leaves spiralled, most oblanceolate, 6-9cm long x 1-2cm wide, grey-green, smell like coffee; raceme-like inflorescence with 30-50 cyathia, yellow-green bracts, Mar-Apr.
Habit:
Dense, Spreading, Stiffly upright
Form:
Mounded, Oval - horizontal
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
1.0 - 1.5m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe (Mediterranean)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Cut flower or foliage, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Specimen plant, Spring interest
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include E. 'Black Pearl' (black male florets), and E. 'Glacier Blue' (variegated).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Spiraled
Texture/Venation:
Succulent
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Glaucous
Colour in Summer:
Bluish, Green
Colour in Fall:
Green, Yellow
Shapes:
Oblanceolate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Cyathium, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow, Green
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
May, Jun
Additional Info:
Not showy, Mericarps (3) split open to release a single seed
Bark Morphology:
Showy, Multi-stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Leaf-like bracts
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
milk may cause skin irritation
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot, Mites, Virus (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
