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Upright myrtle spurge

Euphorbia rigida

Upright myrtle spurge
Photo: Seán A. O'Hara, CC BY 2.0

Euphorbia rigida is a bushy, evergreen, drought-tolerant perennial from the Mediterranean and southwest Asia, growing about 50 cm tall and wide with bright yellow spring flowers. It is grown in well-drained soil in sun or light shade and is valued as a low-maintenance garden plant.

Family
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water sparingly once established; let the soil dry out between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained soil, including poor or gritty soil.
Temperature
Hardy in mild temperate gardens; protect from prolonged frost.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: All parts are toxic if eaten, and the milky sap can irritate skin when the plant is cut or broken.
Native range
NW. Africa, S. Europe to Iran
Climate
temperate

About

Euphorbia rigida, the gopher spurge or upright myrtle spurge, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae, native to southern Europe and southwest Asia. Growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall and broad, it is a bushy evergreen perennial with somewhat fleshy leaves arranged in a spiral, bearing bunches of bright yellow flowers in late Spring.

In its native Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East it is considered a weed. It has appeared spontaneously in the California wilderness but is not considered a noxious weed.

How to grow it

This plant is commonly used as an ornamental in temperate gardens of Europe and North America, where it is valued as a relatively trouble-free specimen for drought-resistant and low-maintenance situations. It is especially useful for underplanting larger shrubs such as roses. It performs best in well-drained soil in the sun or light shade. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Safety

As with others of the genus, all parts of the plant are toxic if eaten. When cut or broken, the wounds leak a milky sap which can cause skin irritation.

Other Euphorbia plants

Abd Al Kuri Euphorbia · Desert Candle · Greek Spiny Spurge · Euphorbia actinoclada · Miniature Saguaro · Pincushion Euphorbia · Euphorbia alcicornis · Euphorbia alfredii · Euphorbia ambarivatoensis · Euphorbia ambovombensis · African candelabra · Euphorbia ampliphylla

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Euphorbia rigida by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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