Euphorbia hyssopifolia

This plant is a fast-growing plant that will remind you of walking down a countryside lane. This will be an ideal plant to have to create that country lane feeling as it grows fast, and with its delicate look, it will be one that will have your neighbors gazing at its delicate flowers.

Spurges are summer annual weeds that flourish in warm weather, but in warmer climates, some can persist into late fall. Plants flower in summer and early fall then die after frost. Spurges are some of the most common warm-season weeds. Each exudes a milky sap when stems or leaves are broken.

Management Guidelines for Spurges: Because spurges flower when young and have little or no seed dormancy, weed populations can increase rapidly. Remove plants when young to reduce seed production. Spurges are well managed by most preemergence herbicides labeled for use.

The foliage of hyssop spurge is similar to nodding spurge with an upright or ascending growth habit, and leaves are longer than wide with an uneven base. Plants have long, smooth, branched stems, often red in color, and a stout taproot. It is a prolific seeder; seeds have little or no dormancy and germinate quickly. It is somewhat more tolerant to herbicides than the other spurges.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti", a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

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