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Albanian Spurge

Euphorbia characias (you-FOR-bee-uh kuh-RAY-see-us)

Family: Euphorbiaceae Non-native Shrub (3-15 ft)

Mediterranean spurge is an easy, low maintenance, perennial that is perfect for a ground cover or specimen plant. This compact, upright, evergreen is native to southern Europe, Turkey, and Albania. It is a member of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). The specific epithet, characias , is Latin and means a kind of spurge. Grown in sunny dry locations with good drainage, it is well suited for xeriscaping, and places where maintenance is difficult, such as banks and poor soil. It is tolerant of many conditions and is not picky about soil pH. Keep the plant soil moist until it becomes established, then water when soil is dry several inches below the surface. Wet soil in the winter can cause problems. Pull up or prune back if it becomes overgrown for the area. Propagate by dividing and replanting in moist soil. It can also be propagated by stem cuttings. Let cut stems dry for a few days to allow the sap to form a callus on the cut end before planting in peat to prevent rot. This plant grows erect, up to 3 to 4 feet tall, and 3 feet wide. The leaves are narrow, linear to obovate, bluish-green, and spirally arranged around the stem. Each stem as a bottlebrush-like display of greenish-yellow flowers. The flowers lack petals but the bracts are very showy. The stems when broken or cut exude a white milky sap that is toxic and can cause contact dermatitis. Mediterranean spurge goes well in the garden with other early bloomers such as tulips, daffodils, candytuft, columbine, and bluebells. It can easily be used to fill a small space in the garden or as a specimen plant. This spurge is grown for its easy care and beautiful foliage, with many cultivars available with colors from silver-grey, blue-green, and green-yellow. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problem. If ingested, all parts of this plant are toxic. Keep them out of the reach of children or pets. The sap is also a skin and eye irritant. Wear protective gloves and eyewear when handling this plant.. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti," a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Euphorbia .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 74 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Euphorbia rigida Euphorbia x martinii
Fills a similar niche Euphorbia amygdaloides subsp. robbiae Euphorbia x martinii Lantana camara

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Poisonous; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Creeping; Dense; Erect; Horizontal; Mounding; Oval
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf shape
Linear; Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leaves of spurge are blue-green in spring through summer, turning yellow-green in the fall. The dense, simple, scale-like leaves are arranged in a spiral along the stems. As the plant matures, the leaves become crowded near the top of the stem and are sparse near the base of the plant. Some people think the leaves smell like coffee.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower value
Showy
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
A bottlebrush-like inflorescence tops the plant from June through July. The inflorescence does not have individual flower petals but has a cluster of petal-like whirls of bracts called a cyathium, the same as the well-known poinsettias red flowers are also bracts. The bracts sit on terminal cylindrical-shaped heads and have black or dark brown nectar glands. Spurge has both male and female flowers and blooms in their second year.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The dry fruit of spurge is insignificant. Each capsule splits open at maturity to release three seeds.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Spurge has a multi-stem trunk that is leafy throughout at first and becomes bare and semi-woody at the base, showing prominent leaf scars. The stem is purplish-green, smooth, erect, and covered with fine woolly hairs. The stem is biennial and carries the flower heads in their second year.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Mediterranean
Distribution
Native; Albania, Corse, France, Greece, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Sardegna, Spain, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. Introduced: Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand North, and New Zealand South
Wildlife value
Nectar plant to pollinators
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators
Play value
Colorful; Easy to Grow
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule

Edibility

Toxic if ingested

Uses (ethnobotany)

The white milky sap has been used to treat skin cancers, tumors, and warts.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Naturalized Area; Rock Wall; Slope/Bank; Small Space
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting; Small groups
Garden tags
#herbaceous perennial #drought tolerant #shrub #contact dermatitis #perennial #problem for children #problem for dogs #problem for cats #rabbit resistant #sap #dry soils tolerant #drought tolerant garden #pollinator garden #specimen #low maintenance #summer flowers #container plant #full sun tolerant #urban conditions tolerant #poisonous if ingested #erect #mass planting #border #deer resistant #groundcover #poor soil tolerant
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Contact Dermatitis; Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Dry Soil; Insect Pests; Pollution; Rabbits; Salt; Squirrels; Urban Conditions
Propagation
Division; Seed; Stem Cutting
Fire risk
low flammability
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Flowers; Fruits; Leaves; Roots; Sap/Juice; Seeds; Stems
Poison symptoms
The milky white latex sap found in all plant parts can cause mild to severe contact dermatitis. If contact with the eyes occurs the sap can cause temporary to permanent damage to the cornea. If eaten, blistering can occur on lips and oral mucosa. Avoid ingesting plant parts and keep plants away from pets and children.
Toxic principle
Saponins, Diterpene esters in milky latex
Contact dermatitis
Yes
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Flowers; Fruits; Leaves; Roots; Sap/Juice; Seeds; Stems; contact dermatitis

Planted at Hunnicutt

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