What is a weed in one country is a choice garden plant in another.
The evergreen euphorbia of Europe, Euphorbia myrsinites, is one of the few evergreen species truly hardy to zero cold. This genus ranges from little weeds to tropical succulents of tree size and includes poinsettia and that spiny vine, crown-of-thorns.
Myrtle Euphorbia’s Features
The plant grows like an oversized sedum, with fleshy procumbent stems of many broad evergreen blue-green leaves springing from deep roots in a permanent clump. But, perhaps the chief beauty is in the foliage.
In late April and May, there are large flat terminal clusters of small yellowish flowers with larger green-yellow bracts. These clusters slowly lose color and become green seed capsules.
Propagation
The plant falls forward by its succulent stems but rarely roots itself. Instead, propagation is by dividing the clump of rope-like roots or by cuttings.
As with all euphorbias, the least break in the plant tissue and the plant sends out abundant milky juice, very acrid to taste.
The true flowers are the little yellow centers, with the yellow leafy bracts making most of the color.
European Weed Has Value
This European weed has value for rock gardens, wall gardens, or a corner in the poorest soil and fullest sun.
Soon it makes a large tumbled clump of interesting blue-green foliage, and the plant lives for many years.
In the coldest of Winters, it withers and loses color but revives with the first warmth of Spring. It is not a sedum or cactus, yet it has many characteristics of both.
A few dealers of rock garden plants offer it for dry soils in the fullest sun, though it is not in nature a truly desert plant.
50037 by S Iliman