Euphorbia Species, Honey Spurge

I have planted E. mellifera in two different homes on the San Francisco peninsula (California). Here, it is definitely evergreen and mine...Read More has quickly attained about 6' in height within two years. The foliage is such an attractive fresh apple green; it is a really lovely foliage plant with quite low water needs.

Euphorbia mellifera grows well, as it does in most of the UK.. hard frosts may prune it down to size (roughly around -8 to -9C will send ...Read Moreit to the ground), but as yet this hasn't happened in my garden since I have had it growing.

If unchecked by frost, Euphorbia mellifera will develop a trunking habit, and eventually will resemble a Candelabra tree-like effect. However if the shoots are constantly cut, or the plant is knocked back by Winter, the plant will grow shoots from the bottom, creating a domed bush.

I personally prefer the wild habit it develops in it's native Azores, and therefore I hope climatically it will be allowed to grow as it wants.

If you grow this plant it should be in a sheltered position. If it isn't, it loses its leaves and you end up with a very ungainly plant w...Read Moreith 5 to 6 ft stems which have leaf scars all the way up and a few leaves at the top.

Having a plant like this, I decided in March that I would coppice it (cut it down to a few inches above ground) rather than dig it up and throw it away. You can see from my photo that the plant has responded by producing lots of healthy looking shoots. You can also see the cut ends of some of the old 1.5 inch diameter stems.

If coppicing works once, it can probably be repeated in a few years when the plant becomes ungainly again.

The plant needs protection from very cold winds and hates being moved. However, the honey fragrance on a hot day is fabulous.