Hardy Tropicals UK

Who on this forum grows it and who has a very large plant?

Euphorbia mellifera grown in garden is usually typified by an image of a dome shaped shrub type form...

Euphorbia mellifera, unlike most Euphorbias love the moist, humid and cool rainforest type habitats - they rarely see much direct sun, and Eurphorbia mellifera is actually one of the plants in the rich flora of the Madeiran laurisilva forest, a sub-tropical rainforest biome that stretches from the Azores, through Madeira and on-towards the Canary Island montane regions.

This is how your Euphorbia mellifera could grow, if the frost allows for it... these are actually my favourite type of plant habits.

These photos demonstrate the plant in its natural habitat... (these are not my photos)








On that last image that stem is one of them.. they can reach more than 20 metres in height!

I had to share these images I found, of a wonderful plant.

I've grown quite a few from seed with success a few yeas ago, but find they look at their best when cut back regularly other wise they get very leggy.
They also make very attractive pot plants when young.
When I moved house last year I took some seedlings with me but so far are not doing so well, I'm hoping they will put on some good growth in the spring.
I love the bright green foliage of them.

Mine get to two metres plus but any taller and they don't look so good. Once they flower the whole flowering shoot is cut back to new growth appearing at the bottom of the stem. Mine self-seed prolifically.

Just seen some today down my local garden center for £1 in the clearance section .

I might try to let mine go for it, no matter how untidy they look, maybe in time, they will end up being so untidy they look good like those in the photos above.. Interesting the self seed there, a lot of Laurisilva plants do well here and many self seed and colonise our woodlands as our climate is a cooler version of that system. Holly (Ilex aquifolium) is one example of a Laurisilva plant that has made it's home in UK woodland.

Did you get any Sal or did you leave them?

I don`t like the bushy form of euphorbia , but they had 3 diffeent variety and did notice that they can reach 2 mt in high , but i think that frost will knock them to the ground , that`s why the bushy effect of all the euphorbia.

That's the problem with these is that the frost will knock them back, so you'll never get full potential in most of the UK. Even here it might be knocked back every 10 years or so.. Depending on the type of Euphorbia.. if you're lucky, these particular ones can reach over 5m in height in the UK, don't know how long that would take though, and most likely would only occur in a mild climate.

I'm not a huge fan of the bushy habit either, and think the habit shown above is far more interesting and jungly.. but the counter argument is that we don't live in Madeira.

Tried from seed a couple of times but no joy. Might be forced to try again sometime

Stephen, i grow a few of the above & curently there about 3ft tall. I was told they prefer a sunny spot to flower but they will also grow in deep shade but without the lovely flowers. Mine are in deep shade under a large 7ft fatsia & are doing great although they were only planted last year. karl.

I got one a few years ago, a plant about 3 or 4 ft tall. It was establishing itself nicely but the first winter knocked it back and the following winter did for it. I reckon it would be OK where you are, I'm trying E pasteurii instead.

Yes I have Mellifera and the better looking Stygiana, bushy suits me as I have no intention of having the jungle look.
There are some fantastic Euphorbia's to be grown and as different as chalk and cheese.

Planted out the one and only result of a packet of seed but reckon it's too hot and dry here in summer for it to be truly happy. Then last winter did for it anyway Will have another go when I've got some shade trees established.