Donkey-tail spurge

Questions about donkey-tail spurge

Does donkey-tail spurge need sun or shade?

Donkey-tail 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 donkey-tail spurge grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

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

When does donkey-tail spurge flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early April to mid May. 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 donkey-tail spurge be planted?

16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 6 in (15 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many donkey-tail spurge plants do I need?

At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 21 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 donkey-tail spurge poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. The milky sap causes painful blisters on skin and can damage eyes. All parts cause vomiting if eaten.

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

What can I plant instead of donkey-tail spurge?

Donkey-tail spurge is listed as invasive in parts of North America, 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 size; flowers early May to early June, white, not green.
• Creeping phlox: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; pink, purple or white, not green, fine leaves, not medium.
• Rock cress: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 4 in narrower, white or pink, not green.

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

Do deer eat donkey-tail 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 donkey-tail spurge spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is high. Self-seeds explosively and is a listed noxious weed, invasive in dry country, in Colorado, Utah, Oregon and other western states. Its milky sap causes painful blisters.

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

What flowers after donkey-tail spurge?

Donkey-tail spurge is over by mid May. 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.
• Catmint 'Walker's Low': from mid May to mid September, 24 in tall.

What does donkey-tail spurge look like in winter?

Donkey-tail spurge keeps its blue-green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.