Cypress spurge

Questions about cypress spurge

Does cypress spurge need sun or shade?

Cypress spurge grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does cypress spurge grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does cypress spurge flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early May to early June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should cypress spurge be planted?

18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 12 in (30 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many cypress spurge plants do I need?

At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.

Is cypress spurge poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. The milky sap irritates skin and eyes, and all parts cause vomiting if eaten. It is poisonous to horses and cattle.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

What can I plant instead of cypress spurge?

Cypress spurge is listed as invasive in parts of North America (3 listings), so the planner never uses it. These do the most similar job, and are native:

• Wild strawberry: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 6 in shorter, white, not green.
• Creeping phlox: the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, flowers mid April to mid May.
• Heath aster 'Snow Flurry': the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, flowers mid September to mid October.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat cypress spurge?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will cypress spurge spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is high. Spreads aggressively by underground runners and by seed, and is a listed noxious weed, invasive in pastures and open ground, in Colorado and several other states.

It is listed as invasive in parts of North America, and the planner never chooses it.

What flowers after cypress spurge?

Cypress spurge is over by early June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Creeping thyme: from early June to mid July, 3 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
• Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall.

What does cypress spurge look like in winter?

Cypress spurge dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

Is cypress spurge good for bees and butterflies?

Cypress spurge is visited by pollinators and bees.