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Euphorbia: A Field Guide. The confusing thing about Euphorbia is its more than 2,000 species, a collection ranging from flower border spurges to succulents.
The confusing thing about Euphorbia is its more than 2,000 species, a diverse collection ranging from fluffy spurges (flower border favorites like the one pictured above) to succulents often confused with cacti.
Whether you are looking for an ornamental spurge to add texture to a flower bed or a tall, skinny cactus lookalike, euphorbias may be your best choice. E. characias subsp. wulfenii is a favorite of landscape designers. For a no-fuss succulent houseplant, E. tirucalli (“Pencil Plant“) will lend an architectural air to the premises. And let us not forget the Christmas favorite: E. pulcherrima, better known as poinsettia.