Donkey-tail spurge

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade but grows less compactly.

Water

Low once established. Water new plants during dry spells, then let the soil dry between waterings; avoid persistently damp winter conditions.

Soil

Sharply drained sandy, gravelly or stony soil, including alkaline soil. Avoid waterlogged ground and rich, heavily amended planting pockets.

Height

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m), with seedlings spreading farther

Flowers

Spring to early summer; small yellow-green flowers surrounded by conspicuous lime-yellow bracts.

Foliage

Evergreen. Fleshy, pointed blue-grey leaves arranged in tight spirals along sprawling stems; often takes on pinkish tones in cold weather.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.7 ft (0.22 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Invasive in

the US

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Moderate

• Check local invasive-plant restrictions before buying or planting.
• Water at soil level during establishment, then water only during prolonged dry weather.
• Do not routinely feed; rich soil encourages loose growth.
• Use a thin gravel mulch rather than moisture-holding mulch against the stems.
• Remove spent flowering stems before seed ripens and pull unwanted seedlings promptly.
• Wear waterproof gloves, long sleeves and eye protection when handling or cutting it.

Pruning. After flowering, cut the spent flowering stems back to their bases before seed capsules mature, leaving healthy new non-flowering shoots. Remove winter-damaged stems in spring, taking care to avoid contact with the milky sap.

Early spring

Remove damaged stems with protective clothing and check for unwanted seedlings.

Spring

Where planting is permitted, plant in full sun and sharply drained soil; water until established.

Late spring

Cut off fading flowering stems before seed capsules ripen and scatter seed.

Summer

Water established plants only during prolonged drought and remove seedlings beyond the planting area.

Autumn

Clear fallen leaves from the crown and check that drainage channels remain open.

Winter

Keep container plants out of standing water and avoid watering while the compost remains wet.

• Allow stems to spill over a low stone wall away from paths and seating.
• Use in a sunny gravel garden for blue-grey foliage and lime-yellow spring colour.
• Combine with upright drought-tolerant perennials to contrast their vertical growth with its trailing stems.
• Grow in a sharply drained container where its spiral foliage can be seen closely, but keep it away from children and pets.

Garden styles it suits: Dry gravel garden, Mediterranean, Desert / xeriscape, Architectural minimal, Alpine rock garden and Modern Mediterranean.

Plant it with: English lavender, Bearded iris, Creeping thyme, Rock rose, Blue fescue and Upright stonecrop.

Wildlife: The flowers provide nectar and pollen for visiting insects. Deer and rabbits usually avoid the plant, but it should not be treated as safe forage.

• Root and crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a raised gravel bed; discard badly rotted plants.
• Excessive self-seeding: remove flower stems before seeds mature and pull seedlings while small.
• Loose, stretched growth in shade or rich soil: move to full sun and stop feeding.
• Cold-weather foliage damage: wait until spring, then remove dead stems; avoid cutting healthy evergreen growth unnecessarily.

Toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses. All parts contain irritating milky sap; skin contact can cause severe irritation or blistering, and eye contact can cause serious injury. Eating it can irritate the mouth and digestive tract, causing drooling, vomiting or diarrhoea. Keep it away from children, pets and grazing animals; seek urgent medical advice for eye exposure and veterinary advice if an animal eats it.

Where it spreads. Spreads by seed, with ripe capsules ejecting seeds beyond the parent plant. It is listed as a noxious weed in Colorado, Utah, Oregon and Washington, with restrictions varying by jurisdiction. It can escape into dry grassland and rocky habitats in the western United States; do not plant where prohibited, and check current local rules before purchasing.

• Upright myrtle spurge (Euphorbia rigida)

  Has taller, more upright stems and longer, narrower pointed leaves; donkey-tail spurge stays low with broader leaves on trailing stems.

• Donkey's tail (Sedum morganianum)

  Has hanging stems packed with plump, rounded succulent leaves rather than flat, pointed leaves; it is frost-tender and does not produce spurge's milky sap.

The name myrsinites refers to myrtle-like foliage, while donkey-tail describes the trailing, densely leaf-covered stems.

Propagation. Where cultivation is permitted, propagate by division in spring or from seed. Self-sown seedlings are common, but avoid sharing plants or seed in regions where it is invasive; wear protection when dividing or handling damaged stems.

Accepted botanical name

Euphorbia myrsinites

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Baleares, Bulgaria, Corse, Greece, Iran, Italy, Kriti, Krym, North Caucasus, Romania and Sicilia.

Measured

Average height 18 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.