Plant profile: six interesting shrubby or perennial Euphorbias

[@adriandunn2301]

Carol here, from Melbourne. I see Euphorbias around. Now l can see them through some informed lens. I loved this. Thanks , you two.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

You are so welcome! Regards Stephen

[@lkawaiteacher]

Euphorbia is one of my favorite groups of plants. You can do all the videos you want on them. I'll watch them all. I live in Hawaii, so unfortunately, these may not be very good to grow here, but I loved watching all the same.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Glad we are doing something you like. Regards Stephen

[@cydneysusan1950]

Greetings from Houston, Texas, USA. I just found your channel and I love it!!! You guys are great! I've learned so much from y'all already and can't wait for spring here so I can put my new knowledge into place!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Welcome!! From Matthew and me. Regards Stephen

[@joanne-et6pm]

Thanks guys very unique euphorbias hope they grow in sub tropics though the honey smelling one my fav Thanks again Stephen & Matt Happy gardening Jo-Anne gc

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Our pleasure! Regards Stephen

[@akothsewe734]

Found this channel today. I'm a new subscriber. Thanks for all the Tipps. Much love from Kenya

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for finding us and welcome!

[@AlisonHTeese-uh8nr]

Euphorbias might take over the world starting from the old gardens on our farm.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

They often have a zest for life! Regards Stephen

[@railiedouglas3018]

Euphorbia tirucalli Firesticks from Africa is very popular where I live on the mid north coast of NSW & very suited to our climate thought there are some impressive mellifera’s or Honey Locust Spurge (also from the Canary Islands) around my town. Euphorbia pulcherrima, the poinsettia from Mexico also likes our climate & there are some fabulous specimens of it around town as well. White & red. Another Euphorbia that does well here is leucocephala or White Lace or Snows of Kilimanjaro, also from Mexico. Strange name for a plant from Mexico but someone got carried away. It’s related to poinsettia in case anyone’s interested. I also have Wulfenii. So some of the cooler climate ones are tolerant of our conditions. It’s a fascinating genus & so versatile.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

An impressive collection some of which I'd love to grow but probably can't. Regards Stephen

[@user-rf6ek5jz1t]

Thanks Stephen and Mathew.Great that you emphasised the seeding ,and potential thugishness.I am afraid of them as l live in a temperate bush area 50+kms out of Melb, and constantly had E.caracas - (pink stems) seedlings coming up.I had not planted them and was 15yrs into gardening here! 2springs ago walked across into my near bush and discovered about 500 seedlings thriving in a favourable season!Much toil to get them out of there!To reiterate your warnings,if you are somewhere they can escape into countryside be super vigilant.Learning heaps and love your style.Jan

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for the input we should always be careful about what we plant and keep in our gardens. Regards Stephen

[@JackieHamlin-xs5se]

Lovely video, once again. Seeing how a houseplant where I come from, could grow to its true potential. I'm learning alot. This coming from what they have here 'master gardener', Wisconsin.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Wonderful! Glad you liked it. Regards Stephen

[@railiedouglas3018]

I have a beautiful Euphorbia cotonifolia in my backyard. It’s grown into a small tree. It was here when I bought the place & I decided to keep it because I had had a much smaller one in my former garden.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

That is awesome! And another species I can't grow. Regards Stephen

[@davidantill6949]

Ha ha, you two. Good fun indeed. Stephen looks and dresses like a children's entertainer from the 80's and Matthew, I am sure is utilising his skills gleaned from theatre (including pantomime). Together however it makes for interesting viewing especially that story about the variegated chestnut in an earlier video. I felt certain that Matthew must be British born and bred, but doing slight research that doesn't appear to be the case... perhaps Libertys just has that effect upon people who work there.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching.

[@DanandPatKerr]

Gentlemen, we have a question for you both. We watch your show every week and neither in your or any other gardening shows have we seen any interaction between humans and critters, i.e. snakes. You have some pretty nasty critters over on that side of the pond, so have you ever run into this situation? Pat onetime reached for the garden hose in the plants and came out with a 3' Garter snake. Thank you, Dan and Pat Kerr, Bruce Mines Ontario Canada.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Dear Dan and Pat, We haven't as yet had that problem and although I'm certainly not saying it won't happen our critters are usually shy of people so are only a problem if caught unawares. Regards Stephen

[@mattlloyd9054]

The only euphorbia I've been successful with here in far southwest Virginia zone 6a 2400 feet elevation is the myrtle euphorbia. What cracks me up is how it never stays put. It's some what of a biennial so if you plant it in a perfectly spaced fashion in a year or 2 it'll be no where near where you planted it and dead where you did. I still love it tho it will not follow the rules.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Love the feedback. Regards Stephen

[@tristagalati6020]

I was excited to see the tree euphorbias in this episode, I have both in my garden, but a bit daunted to see how big they could get, which leads to my question. And it’s less an issue of size (I’m sure I just didn’t read the label at the time I purchased the tree euphorbias, I was too keen on having them in my garden) but do you think plant labels in nurseries are a bit misleading when it comes to light conditions? My garden is small and at best is part shade only at the height of summer. It is mostly deep dark shade and completely overshadowed 9 months of the year. I feel I’ve tested the claim of just about every plant sold that claims to be part or full shade and have a pretty mixed selection of surviving plants as it is, but have too wasted money over the years (happily still, love a bit of trial and error), and I’m getting better at being more discerning up front with my purchases, trying to only pick things that will have a fighting chance. This is something I feel more gardeners will face as we get denser towns and cities. And I get all plants need SOME light still! Any insights you have on plant labelling for light would be appreciated! (based in Ivanhoe by the way, thanks!)

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Plant labels are often slightly misleading heights are often for ten years but they usually don't say this and as far as light requirements are concerned what is semi-shade to one person is full shade to another, some labels are even designed and printed over seas with wildly incorrect information for our climate. I much prefer having a good nursery owner with local knowledge. Regards Stephen

[@tristagalati6020]

@@thehorti-culturaliststhanks!!! A sensible approach, though one I haven’t utilised much at all?! Will stop trusting the labels and will start asking those in the know. Surprised to hear we get could get such wildly inaccurate labels?! But I guess the priority of growers is sales so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at all 😅

[@Kay-qt2id]

I echo carols comments, have a few of these and can’t remember what species they are so I know feel much more informed, thank you

[@thehorti-culturalists]

A pleasure. Regards Stephen

[@michelleadams1210]

Oooooh, you've got me intrigued!! What beautiful specimens of these plants, you have. I'm assuming they would grow well in Sunraysia? I love learning from you. Many thanks Cheers

[@thehorti-culturalists]

I'm sure they would and glad you enjoyed our efforts. Regards Stephen

[@karlsorchidparty2395]

You are right! E. cyparissias is named after its foliage. We have it here as a native in the middle in Germany (Göttingen).

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

I know a lot who think it means it is from Cyprus! Regards Stephen

[@karlsorchidparty2395]

@@thehorti-culturalists Me as a newbie too. But than a profesor from my university told me about it.

[@arfa07]

Thanks for another wonderful and informative video. Have got a question, though unrelated to the video though (based in Canberra, Australia): what tree species have a strong central leader and a natural rounded canopy shape? Like an Indian Bean Tree (catalpa) but I’m looking for an evergreen one - to screen out neighbours above a colourbond fence?

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Many bushy evergreens could do it but most will need lower branches removed to trunk term up. You could try Arbutus canariensis or A. x andrachnoides, some of our native melaleucas could do it, Some evergreen magnolias such as virginiana, and if you can get it Maytenus although that's inclined to sucker. Regards Stephen

[@arfa07]

@@thehorti-culturalists thanks, will look into those

[@jangrodzicki2855]

Great video! I'm growing for a few years Euphorbia purchased as characias subsp. Wulfenii. I can distinguish Euphorbias and I have seen this species many times in gardens and in nature, but my specimen behaves differently than others I have seen so far - it branches not only at the woody base but also near the cutting points on partialy shortened stems and on faded flowers. My plant has expirenced about -10°C so far with no damage. Beside branching habit the plant is looking like other Euphorbia characias I've seen so far. Are those ways of branching abnormal for this species? Are there any hard to distinguish species that behave similary? I have a hypothesis that there might have been some mutation or awakening of dormant genes. I'm located in Poland.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

I have seen the same thing but don't really have an answer for it but assumed it is just one of a genetic variation continum. Regards Stephen