Euphorbia amygdaloides

var. robbiae

MRS ROBB’S BONNET

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae
MRS ROBB’S BONNET

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae is a very dry hardy, as well as decorative groundcover.
And incredibly handy in all sorts of tricky garden dilemmas.

A froth of lime & purple

It blooms with a froth of lime-green flower heads over spring-summer.
And all set off beautifully by evergreen foliage, which colours up with rich red shades in cold weather and frost.

Dry shade hardy

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae makes a particularly dry hardy groundcover.
So it is ideal planted in a variety of positions, from Dry Shade all the way through to Full Sun.
And it is has good drought hardiness in any position.
Making it a very water-wise for gardeners with limited water supplies.

Hardy in frost, dry, heat, and can even brush off some salt

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae also copes in poor soils, including sandy and coastal locations, and stony very well drained ground.
So it makes a handsomely coloured, evergreen perennial groundcover in a wide range of difficult spots.

The good old Wood Spurge is therefore hardy in frost, manages in dry, copes with heat, and will even brush off quite a degree of salt in the air.

Rabbit and deer proof

As a further bonus, it is rarely if ever troubled by any pests and diseases.
And best of all – feral rabbits and deer will not touch it, because the white sap causes a burning sensation in their mouths.

CAUTION: So it is a wise precaution to wear gloves whenever you trim or work with any Euphorbia, and be careful not to get any of the white sap in your eyes (this is no time to rub tired gardener’s eyes).
Because the milky sap can mildly burn your skin, and is distinctly bad to get in your eyes.
So always wash immediately if you come in contact with the sap.
In fact the repeated application of Euphorbia sap was often used in folk medicine, as a treatment to burn off warts and skin lesions.

Long lasting blooms in the garden & good cut flowers

The flower heads are very long lasting in the garden, and create real colour interest as they transition through a variety of shading over a long period of time.
Plus they make excellent cut flowers in a vase.

Very bee friendly

Our helpful little garden friends the bees, also find Euphorbia flower heads very useful.
Because the blossoms are full of pollen and nectar, and so long lasting, and thus a very reliable food source for our pollinators.

50cm. High with frothy lime flower heads  x 60cm. Wide of evergreen foliage.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK

Sow at any time of year in punnets indoors / or scatter in garden spring & summer.

INDOORS:
First soak the seeds in warm (not boiling) water for 2 hours, allowing it to cool.

Then sow the seed in a punnet on good quality seed raising mix.
Now barely cover the seeds with vermiculite or sieved mix.
Because these seeds need light to germinate.

So place the moist, sown punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in any direct sun).

Temperatures of 20-26C approx. are ideal for rapid and optimum germination.
So you can use a heat mat if you have one, to maintain ideal temperatures. But a heat mat is not essential, as these seeds are easy to germinate if they are kept in a warm position.

And continue to keep moist.

Seedlings emerge in 10-21 days.
But do not discard the punnet too quickly. As some seeds may come later.

However if the seeds are shy to germinate after 21 days – then wrap the moist, sown punnet in cling-wrap or a plastic bag. And place in the fridge (not freezer) for 7 days.
Then remove from fridge, unwrap & return to warm, well lit position at 20-26C.

SEED COUNT: 50 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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