Euphorbia Fever

Diamond Frost, growing alone in a pot. This variety is part of the Proven Winners lineup.

I enjoyed two new-to-me euphorbias in my containers last summer. Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ is a keeper and I’ll definitely have it again this year. The blue-gray, eucalyptus-like foliage is pretty, but the airy sprays of white flowers are fantastic and just stay and stay all summer long.

Rudolph Euphorbia will be available for fall shipping from Dutch Gardens.

The other euphorbia that I grew in a pot was less successful. Where it’s hardy (zone 7+), Euphorbia ‘Rudolph’ makes an attractive plant for the perennial border. It has lemon-lime flowers in the spring, dusky, blue-green foliage and reddish stems. The plant was named for its winter color: in cold temperatures the leaves at the end of each stem turn bright red.

This red coloration was still apparent when I bought the plant in a pot last spring. I put Rudolph into a mixed container with about five other plants, including a rambunctious coleus. It looked great to start, but we then had one of the wettest summers on record. Being a native Australian, Rudolph didn’t like soggy weather and never amounted to much. Since its flowers are produced in early spring and its foliage color appears in late fall and winter, I question its value as a plant for summer containers.

That said, I’m not giving up quite yet. Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ has a habit that’s similar to Rudolph, but its foliage is variegated with blue-green, cream, yellow and hints of pink. Wow. So I plan to try this one on its own in a terra-cotta pot on the west side of my house. It’s the most Australia-like conditions that my northern Vermont garden can produce.