Palisade Spurge, Euphorbia characias

Unusual and long-lasting flowers that show off their beauty for months, vigorous growth and low demands - the palisade spurge is a lot of fun and little work. Cultivated in the garden or in a tub, it is a good choice even for beginners, is easy to propagate and, thanks to its evergreen leaves, is a year-round ornament. Nevertheless, there are some special features when caring for and trimming the Euphorbia characias, without which it cannot develop its full splendor.

Location

The palisade spurge comes from the Mediterranean region and therefore also wants a sunny location in the home garden. Ideally, this should be somewhat sheltered from the wind, as this can affect the evergreen subshrub, especially in winter. In addition, Euphorbia characias grows stronger in windless places and does not tend to fall apart here. A well-considered choice of location also has optical advantages.

It should also be considered that the palisade spurge grows to a height of around 80 centimeters and can therefore overshadow other plants.

substrate

The substrate for the palisade spurge should be loose and well-drained. The lime-loving plant thrives particularly well on gravelly or sandy soil and prefers alkaline or neutral soil. It tolerates slightly acidic pH values, but then grows and flowers less splendidly.

The optimal mixture for the Euphorbia characias is one part fresh garden or potting soil and one part sand. Some gravel and coconut fiber can be added to this.
On the other hand, loamy, heavy soils or soils that tend to compaction are completely unsuitable for the palisade spurge.

Pour

As a Mediterranean plant, the palisade spurge has a very low water requirement and can survive dry periods well. Nevertheless, it has to be watered every now and then, especially in the first year, if there is no rain for a long time.

Since the Euphorbia characias loves lime, even hard tap water can be used. The pouring is overflowing and so penetrating that the earth is completely wet. This procedure encourages the roots to grow particularly deep. This in turn ensures that deeper layers of the earth are subsequently reached. In the long run, the plant can take care of itself better and then survives prolonged dry periods in summer without any problems. Anyone who initially takes the time for this care measure will have significantly less work later on.

However, the palisade spurge is rarely watered at first, so the substrate should dry well between watering.

Fertilize

The palisade spurge can do without fertilizer. Only if it has been in the same location for many years should it be watered with pond water or some plant manure from time to time. A small dose of compost or mineral fertilizer can also be given in the spring after cutting. However, this care measure should be limited to a maximum of two doses per year for Euphorbia characias.

waste

The palisade spurge flowers from March to June. Depending on the climate, however, the flowering time can also be postponed. The plant forms large and unusually decorative, yellow-green flowers. When these fade, seed formation begins and the plant sows itself. If you want to avoid this, you should cut off the slowly drying inflorescences in good time. The entire shoot is removed, radically down to just above the ground.

Apart from this measure, scissors should also be used every spring or every other spring. The shoots may be cut back by a quarter or a third of their total length. Ideally, the trimming takes place before the new sprouting, i.e. very early in spring. A frost-free day in February is favorable. The purpose of this regular pruning is to keep the Euphorbia characias compact and to prevent the individual stems from falling apart.

In addition to removing the dried inflorescences and regular maintenance pruning, a rejuvenation pruning can also be advisable. This is recommended for older plants when their willingness to bloom and vigor decrease, when the shoots fall apart or slowly become bare. To do this, all shoots are cut off to a hand's breadth above the ground - again in the spring before the first shoots appear. After this radical cut, it is advisable to give the Euphorbia characias some extra care. Thorough watering and a light fertilization will help encourage the palisade spurge to grow densely and vigorously again. With any form of blending, some safety measures and tips should be observed with the spurge plant.

Caution: Toxic

As the name suggests, the palisade spurge is a spurge plant. The plant sap that escapes when the shoots are cut or accidentally snapped off is therefore poisonous and should be avoided at all costs.

Any maintenance measure should therefore be carried out carefully and protected. The following rules therefore apply to blending in particular:

• Avoid direct skin contact and wear gloves for protection
• To stop the escaping plant sap, wipe or dab the cut surfaces with a wet cloth
• To protect against rot, cut on dry days if possible or dust the freshly cut surfaces with charcoal powder
• Thoroughly clean, preferably disinfect, all cutting tools before and after use

It should also be noted that the Euphorbia characias is not necessarily suitable for gardens or households with small children and playful pets due to its toxicity. At least it should be set up here in such a way that it cannot be accidentally damaged and thus become dangerous while playing and romping around.

propagation

The palisade spurge can be propagated by seeds and cuttings. If you want to leave the propagation to the plant itself, simply leave the dried inflorescences on the Euphorbia characias.

In the case of targeted propagation via seeds, on the other hand, the following instructions will help:

1. When the flowers have completely dried up, the stems are carefully cut off and placed in a bag.
2. The seeds are removed from the flowers in the sealed bag by shaking and gently beating.
3. They should be stored in a dark and dry place over the winter. The following spring they can be sown directly into the garden after the last frost.
4. Here they are only lightly covered with substrate and kept moist for the first few weeks, i.e. watered more frequently.
5. As soon as the first shoots appear, the intervals between watering can be increased.
6. It is advisable to prick out the young plants when they are about ten centimeters high. The weakest shoots are removed in order to give the stronger more space and resources.

When propagating the palisade spurge via cuttings, wait until late spring or early summer. Frosts should also no longer occur, since the cuttings would not yet survive this. Anyone who has taken this into account has a high chance of success with the following method:

1. For propagation, newly sprouted tips of the palisade spurge are cut off with a length of about ten to fifteen centimeters and the leaves are removed at the stem ends. Again, it should be noted that the sap should not come into contact with the skin.
2. The cut surfaces of the cuttings are first kept in water so that the sap from the plant is quickly stopped.
3. The cut surfaces should then be powdered with charcoal and allowed to dry a little. This reduces the risk of rot.
4. Prepared in this way, they are inserted about two centimeters deep into the ground. You should sit them low so they don't fall over.
5. In the first few weeks, the watering is done in such a way that the cuttings are washed deeply, but the soil surface can dry well.
6. Four to eight weeks must be planned for the development of the roots. If the Euphorbia characias cuttings no longer yield to a slight pull, they have grown successfully.

Tip: The palisade spurge can be grown from seed indoors from February or March, but should then be in sterile potting soil.

hibernate

The palisade spurge can withstand temperatures down to -17°C, but it can be damaged in severe sub-zero temperatures or frost. Protection from brushwood and straw is then absolutely necessary. In the case of frequently colder winters, it is also advisable to cultivate the Euphorbia characias in a bucket and to hibernate in a light but cool place indoors.

Conclusion

The Euphorbia characias is an easy-care plant that brings a Mediterranean touch to the garden and is easily suitable even for beginners. The palisade spurge is not the best choice for everyone just because of its irritating plant sap.

Learn more about cacti & succulents