Plant Height: 18 inches
Flower Height: 24 inches
Spread: 24 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4b
Description:
An eye catching perennial with its tiny yellow flowers surrounded by yellow bracts in the spring; requires good soil drainage and full sun; perfect for the garden, borders and especially the rock garden; the white sap is an irritant to skin and poisonous
Ornamental Features
Cushion Spurge has masses of beautiful cymes of yellow flowers with yellow bracts at the ends of the stems from mid to late spring, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its attractive pointy leaves emerge yellow in spring, turning bluish-green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Cushion Spurge is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Cushion Spurge is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing
Cushion Spurge will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division.
