Euphorbia 'ASCOT RAINBOW'

Euphorbia - spurge represents a large family of plants where the most eye-catching ones are not hardy enough for Central European climate (zone 6). However, there are also hybrids where one of the parents bear the beauty of the tender species, and the other improves hardiness. Such as this one.

Ascot rainbow is a semi-woody perennial spurge found as a natural mutation of an old unnamed hybrid by David Glenn from Australia in 2005. This variety has beautiful, evergreen foliage boasting with rich banana yellow variegation at leaf margins around grey green centres. In autumn and winter older leaves and yellow parts gain pink shades, and top rosettes turn burgundy red. Stems are red all season long, and at their tops are borne large panicles of small, yellow and green flowers with red centres in summer.

It flowers on previous year's wood so any pruning, if required, has to be done immediately after flowering in summer. All parts of the plant produce milky sap when cut, crushed, or bruised, that is toxic and can cause skin irritation. The plant was patented as PP21401 in 2010.

Spurge will grow in full sun in almost any well-drained garden soil provided it is protected wet conditions, mainly in winter. Its autumn foliage colour improves with the levels of nitrogen in the soil so a small dose of slow-release fertilizer would do the trick in late summer, but is not necessary. It is hardy to min. -24°C (USDA zone 6), possibly a few degrees more.

Last update: 08-12-2016