It doesn't have petals, and it's poisonous to boot, but the shy euphorbia is a star of spring gardens for Jane Powers
There are certain plants a garden can't do without, but they don't call undue attention to themselves. Nor, unlike roses, clematis, lilies and other noisy performers, do they have huge fan clubs. They just get on with their job in a quiet sort of way. Such hard-working species are plentiful, but at this season it is the euphorbias, or spurges, that are toiling away in the spring garden. The curious cup-shaped flowers that cluster at the ends of the stems are usually of an acidic green or yellow, making a perfect foil for spring bulbs. Red or orange tulips are especially punchy when teamed with such citrusy tones, while bluebells and the limegreen inflorescences of some spurges are a match made in heaven.
Euphorbias have no petals. Instead, the male and female parts are cradled in "little dishes or Saucers" - as Gerard puts it so nicely in his Herball of 1597 - which are actually involucres or bracts (modified leaf structures). This arrangement of the reproductive bits and pieces
is called a cyathium. I'm offering you this snippet of botanical anatomy not just to impress but also because it explains why the blooms last so long.
In a "normal" flower, the petals are the main event, but because their tissue is relatively fragile they don't last long. In euphorbias, however, the involucres are the eye-catchers, and they are made of sterner stuff. Instead of dropping off, or withering, they gradually become less radiant and eventually, over several weeks, lose their pigment. Some spurges are eager self-seeders, scattering their load with an explosive pop - so, unless you want a forest of babies, be sure to deadhead them or remove the whole stem when the flowers become grubbylooking.
With the removal of the seedheads, the plant puts its energy back into vegetative growth, producing a flush of fresh stems from its base.
Almost all of our garden euphorbias have yellow or green cyathia, but a few are at the orange and red end of the spectrum, including E. griffithii 'Fireglow' and 'Dixter'. And a rather nice, low-growing one, with leaves and inflorescences flushed with purple, is E. Dulcis 'Chameleon'. It is a martyr to rust, though, so watch out for the telltale orange blips and remove any diseased foliage.
Another red spurge - although you wouldn't know it at first - is the poinsettia (E. pulcherrima, from Mexico). It has the characteristic durable inflorescences of the genus - hence the splashy crimson bracts that hang around long after everything else Christmassy is forgotten or broken.
There are about 2,000 species of euphorbia. Most are natives of warm regions of Africa and Asia, and many are succulent plants, resembling cacti. Some are tree-sized, others are as small as pebbles.
One of most endearing is E. obesa: it looks like a vegetable sea urchin, and enjoys the common names of gingham golf ball and living baseball.
The ability to survive with very little water features across the euphorbia clan. I can think of only one species that is a moisture lover, E. palustris (palustris means "of the marshes" ), and, despite
its watery origins, it will tolerate a dry soil. This lack of thirstiness makes spurges ideal candidates for the water-saving garden. The sprawly E. rigida and E. myrsinites are especially drought-proof, as can be seen by their hard and scaly, grey-green leaves.
Even dry shade, that trickiest of situations, may be populated with the evergreen woodlander, E. amygdaloides var. robbiae. It has a little-used but appealing common name, Mrs Robb's Bonnet, in honour of the Englishwoman who was supposed to have smuggled some back from northern Turkey in her hatbox.
Her glossy-leaved namesake is the best coloniser I know for the parched territory under evergreen shrubs, but it comes with a warning. Don't let it loose in your best border, where it may run amok and boot out your better-behaved, and more treasured, plants. Indeed, several eu phorbias are runners and must be planted with care. E. cyparissias (and its cultivars) and E. griffithii are two that demand an iron fist, or an enclosed bed. And, while we're in the cautions and caveats section, let me remind you that all euphorbias are poisonous. The common name, spurge, refers to its traditional use as a purgative. The milky latex in some varieties irritates the skin and can be extremely dangerous if it splashes into an eye. It can flow quite freely when you are pruning, so wear gloves and keep your hands away from your face. If you're using the blooms for flower arranging, you need to seal the cut stems, as the sap prevents other plants in the container from taking in water. Do this by dipping the cut ends into boiling water or by passing them over a flame - in each case for about 30 seconds.
Some of the finest of spurges are varieties of the Mediterranean E. characias. It is a lovely brute of a plant, a metre and more high, with strong, upright shoots covered in blue-green leaves, and great drumsticks of inflorescences. Along with its subspecies, wulfenii, it has given rise to dozens of cultivars, including the variegated 'Emmer Green' and 'Silver Swan'. All retain the fine upstanding habit of the parent species, and make bold statements when in flower. After the flowers are finished, the leaves serve as a textured backdrop for other blooms.
Plant breeders are beginning to take notice of the garden spurges; they're easy to raise, are largely trouble-free and have a long season of interest. Recent years have seen many new varieties, including the gorgeous, dusky-foliaged 'Blackbird', shown by Notcutts at Chelsea Flower Show last year (available from June at Camolin Potting Shed; 053-9383629; www.camolinpottingshed. com).
One of my favourites, however, is the honey spurge, E. mellifera, a huge ball of a shrub with honey-scented domes of orangey flowers, dripping with nectar. It is a native of Madeira, so it needs warmth and shelter. When it blooms, in late spring, its fragrance is sweet and intoxicating.
Strangely, bees are uninterested in it, but that's just fine. I don't mind taking turns with the wasps and the flies.
DIARY DATES
Today, 1.30-4.00pm: Alpine Garden Society (Dublin Group) annual spring show and plant sale at Cabinteely Community School, Johnstown Road, Cabinteely, Co Dublin. Admission for non-members: €2 (www.alpinegardensociety.ie).
Alpine Garden Society (Dublin Group) annual spring show and plant sale at Cabinteely Community School, Johnstown Road, Cabinteely, Co Dublin. Admission for non-members: €2 (www.alpinegardensociety.ie).
Thursday, April 13th to Monday, April 17th: Kiltrea Bridge annual sale of Irish handthrownpots for house and garden (10am-5.30pm each day, except Sunday, 2-5pm) at Enniscorthy, Co Wexford (054-35107; www.kiltreapottery.com).
Kiltrea Bridge annual sale of Irish handthrownpots for house and garden (10am-5.30pm each day, except Sunday, 2-5pm) at Enniscorthy, Co Wexford (054-35107; www.kiltreapottery.com).