Cypress euphorbia belongs to the perennials of the Euphorbia family. This is a fairly large clan, in which there are over 7000 species and about 3000 genera. Most of this family prefers subtropics and tropics. Europe and Asia - the territory where cypress euphorbia grows in natural conditions. It quietly develops on sandy soils, on hills and slopes, as well as in pine forests.
The name of the whole family speaks for itself. All its representatives, when damaged, secrete white milky juice, which is poisonous. And when working with a similar plant, it is better to use gloves. Cypress euphorbia (the photo clearly shows this) has erect stems with original densely arranged needle leaves. Throughout the season, they change color from a yellowish tone to shades of gray, which makes them even more attractive.
In general, the bush of this plant forms such a loose and lush ball, somewhat reminiscent of juniper. In height, it reaches no more than 40 cm and belongs to ground cover plants. From May to June, its small fragrant flowers appear pale yellow. They are like beads scattered on a light green plate. Moreover, flowering is repeated in the fall.
Cypress euphorbia has branched creeping roots, so it grows quite quickly, capturing new territory. You can plant it in any soil. The landing site may be open or shaded, but it is better if it is a sunny place. In too shady places it will produce many shoots, but its flowering will remain quite scarce.
You can propagate by dividing the bush, segments of rhizomes or seeds. The first and second options are used in early September, as well as in late April.
It is better to plant seeds in open ground in the fall. In principle, all members of this family can be called unpretentious, including cypress euphorbia, care for it is minimal. Since all milkweed comes from warm and arid regions, they have the property of accumulating moisture for the future. Therefore, they do not need constant watering. This should only be done during a period of great drought. It is also required to regularly weed and feed 2-3 times with mineral fertilizers. And in late autumn, you must not forget to cut off already dried shoots. In principle, this is all care.
If we talk about diseases, the cypress euphorbia most suffers from improper care, namely from an excess of moisture.
If you notice that the leaves of the plant wilt and then die off, it means that the soil is too wet. This is especially often observed at low temperatures, when the roots rot due to excess moisture, and the plant is affected by fungal diseases. Of the pests, a whitefly and a
spider mite can harm it
, although this happens quite rarely.
Since cypress euphorbia retains its decorative effect throughout the season, it is often used as a background, which is advantageously combined with the colors of other perennials. Landscape designers use it to create rock gardens and rocky gardens. And its similarity to juniper allows it to organically combine with any representatives of conifers. During flowering, euphorbia cypress looks luxurious in cut. And to get rid of the secreted juice, it is enough to dip the tips of the stems in hot water for a couple of minutes.