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Botanical name: Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’
This plant has distinct variegated flowers and foliage, narrow leaves of blue-green with yellow margins displays stunning crimson overtones in the cooler months; highly tolerant of heat and dryness and virtually maintenance free.
Other names: Variegated Euphorbia
| Hardiness zone | 6b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | red |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | mounded |
| Mature height | 15 inches (20 inches with the flowers) |
| Spread | 15 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | dry to moist |
| Plant origin | hybrid |
Ascot Rainbow Variegated Spurge's attractive narrow leaves are bluish-green in color with distinctive yellow edges. The foliage often turns crimson in fall. It has masses of beautiful clusters of red flowers with chartreuse bracts held atop the stems in early spring, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Ascot Rainbow Variegated Spurge is an herbaceous evergreen 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 be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. 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.
Ascot Rainbow Variegated Spurge is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Rock/Alpine Gardens, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Ascot Rainbow Variegated Spurge will grow to be about 15 inches tall at maturity extending to 20 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 15 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 8 years.
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 particular variety is an interspecific hybrid, 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 cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Ascot Rainbow Variegated Spurge is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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