Silver Spurge

Euphorbia rigida

Euphorbia rigida, commonly known as Silver Spurge, is a delightful little shrub that typically grows up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Its beautiful lance-shaped leaves are arranged in tight spirals around sturdy upright stems, creating a lovely display. At the tips of the branches, you’ll find charming domed clusters of small green flowers that bloom at the end of winter and early spring, beautifully accompanied by striking chartreuse-yellow bracts that gradually change to a warm reddish-tan as they age. Late fall brings out these lovely red hues in the leaves, adding to its seasonal charm. This resilient plant thrives in full sun to part shade and prefers well-draining soil that can handle poor, dry, rocky conditions, requiring only occasional watering. It's hardy down to around 0°F, making it quite tough! Plus, animals tend to leave it alone, so you won’t need to worry about browsing. After it blooms, you can simply cut the stems at their base, allowing new growth to emerge and keeping it from seeding. 

This cheerful plant calls the Mediterranean Basin home, stretching from Portugal through Italy, Greece, and Albania all the way to Turkey and Crimea, and can also be found on the beautiful islands of Sicily and Crete. The genus name comes from Euphorbus, the Greek physician who served King Juba II of Numidia and later Mauritania. Back in 12 B.C., he named a cactus-like plant with purgative qualities after himself! Later, the renowned Carl Linnaeus assigned the name Euphorbia to encompass the entire genus. 

The specific epithet refers to its upright stems, which set it apart from the similar-looking but prostrate Myrtle Spurge, Euphorbia myrsinites. Because of this unique structure, it's sometimes affectionately called Upright Myrtle Spurge or Gopher Spurge, a name usually linked with Euphorbia lathyris.

Height: 1’-2’
Spread: 2’-3’
Bloom: April-July
Light: Full Sun, Part Sun
Water: Low, Medium
Zone: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Origin: Mediterranean Basin
Deer Resistant: Yes