Euphorbia comprises a large genus of plants inside of which there are over 2,000 species, meaning there is literally an endless choice of varieties. Of these, around 1200 are succulent species that provide some of the most remarkable shapes and look very similar to cacti. They are cultivated because of the range of foliage in architectural shapes they have but only a few are known for the flowers they produce. Those that do produce flowers bloom in the spring or summer and tend to go into dormancy come winter.
Of these non-succulent varieties, the Euphorbias are deciduous and the most popular flowering varieties include the traditional Christmas Poinsettia, the Poinsettia that is grown by most people over Christmas, as well as the familiar milkweed that is also known as the Euphorbia peplus.
Hardy Euphorbias for rockeries and flowerbeds
Most of the succulent varieties are not very hardy, and if there are being grown in the UK they do better when grown indoors. There are also lots of different hardy rockery varieties available too. There are many perennial varieties that provide much-needed winter colour, with many being evergreen, while some die back for winter before emerging again in spring. These perennial Euphorbia are what most gardeners in the UK will likely want to plant, such varieties include the Euphorbia amygdaloides purpura and the Euphorbia characias.
Easy to Care for
Whether they are flowering or not, Euphorbias are quite simple to care for and they require very little care and maintenance once they are established. Once fully established they are incredibly self-sufficient and won’t die from very much, besides too much care or too much watering.
Regular Care
Plant Euphorbia in full sun to partial shade
Euphorbias require areas with full sun but they do tolerate partial shade, especially the woodland varieties. If you have a flowering Euphorbia, full sun is a necessity to get the most out of the flowers. If you don’t provide it with full sun, the plant will put all of its resources and energy into maintaining itself rather than flowering. This effectively defeats the purpose of having a flowering variety in the first place, that being said, the foliage of many varieties is equally as stunning as the flowers themselves.
Even though there is very little you need to do to care for the plant, there are some specific requirements needed to give them the best chance of thriving.
Watering Euphorbias
First, unlike other succulents, Euphorbia does not tolerate long periods of drought so you need to keep a close eye on watering, especially if you are growing them in pots. You’ll have to water your plants sometimes weekly during the summer months. Effectively you want to water whenever the soil becomes dry on the surface, being careful not to overwater. Once you note that it’s dry enough, water it deeply but don’t let it sit in the water because this can lead to root rot.
Feeding Euphorbias
To help them get established when you first plant them, or during their growing season, you can add organic matter, like compost or fertiliser such as bone meal or fish blood and bone into the soil. If you are growing your Euphorbia in a container, you can give it a half-strength fertiliser on a monthly basis.
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Pests and Diseases
The good news is, that Euphorbias are typically problem-free. Very few animals want to contend with the spiky needles or the milky sap they are known for. It’s worth noting that the milky sap can irritate the skin so always wear gloves when cutting them back or taking cuttings.
Mealybugs and spider mites
However, there are a few bugs that have taken a liking to Euphorbia. Mealybugs and spider mites are the most common pests and they will feed on your plant until such time as it eventually dies. These insects increase in numbers very rapidly so it’s essential that you catch the problem early on and rectify it by spraying the plants with a pesticide spray.
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Root rot
As mentioned, they are susceptible to root rot. This really only happens when the plants are in wet soil for too long. By having well-draining soil and limiting the watering until it’s dry enough to require it, you can avoid this. Dig plenty of organic matter and grit into the soil if the area sometimes becomes waterlogged before planting.
Mildew
There are some issues of mildew if you have bad air circulation. You can correct this by changing the growing conditions to provide better airflow around your Euphorbia before you resort to a fungicide, however, in bad cases try to improve the air circulation and spray the plant with a fungicide.
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Pruning
Euphorbia usually falls into one of three pruning categories. Evergreen varieties just need the flowers trimmed when they have finished and turned brown. Varieties with biennial stems (which means they flower on the stems in the second year) just need the flowering stems cut back to ground level in autumn. Finally, deciduous varieties that die back for winter need all the stems cut back to ground level in autumn, ideally before the first frost.
Propagating Euphorbia
If you have a successful Euphorbia plant in your garden and you have decided you would like more there are two propagating options available to you. Firstly, you can propagate from seed, however, this is a very difficult process.
The second, and most common way to propagate is by taking cuttings. Be cautious of the fact that the cuttings ooze a sticky, milky white sap that is an irritant to the skin and the eyes so it’s important that you wear gloves during this process.
Some of our favourite varieties:
- Euphorbia grandialata will start out with upright growth and eventually spread into a thorny bush, producing coral red flower bracts in the summer.
- Euphorbia lactea has fan-like branches with black spines.
- Euphorbia milii is a thorny, bushy plant that provides floral bracts of red, orange, yellow and white throughout the year.
- Euphorbia obesa is round and plump and it has reddish stripes. It tolerates some shade.
- Euphorbia symmetrica is a smaller, round subspecies of the Euphorbia obesa.
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Last update on 2026-09-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
