Griffith's spurge 'Fireglow'
Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow' · Euphorbiaceae
Brick-orange flower heads glow above red stems and red-veined leaves in early summer; the whole plant turns yellow and red in autumn.
- Size
- 3 ft tall, 3 ft wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Late May to early July
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around griffith's spurge 'Fireglow'
The planner designed this bed around griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' × 4, orange
- 2 Creeping phlox 'Candy Stripe' × 8, pink
- 3 Carpathian bellflower 'Blue Clips' × 8, blue
- 4 Stiff goldenrod × 3, yellow
- 5 Inkberry 'Gem Box' × 1, dark green leaves
- 6 Star of Persia × 4, purple
- 7 Snowdrop × 7, white
Why this plant
- The only dense clusters. The others are open bowls, flat plates, globes and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- The only orange.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 3 ft it is one of the taller plants here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to stiff goldenrod (4 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 4 plants in 2 groups (3 and 1). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- In flower for 7 weeks. From late May to early July.
- Fills a gap. For one of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 5 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' is planted in two places along the bed, which gives it rhythm. Low plants run along 100% of the front edge: Carpathian bellflower 'Blue Clips' and creeping phlox 'Candy Stripe'. The plan meets all 17 of the design principles it was checked against, and is Excellent in one category.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 7 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' goes in a border
At 3 ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium tall (2½ to 3 ft).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
A rare orange for June, and unlike most spurges it wants moist, good soil. It runs at the root, quickly in light soil, so place it among sturdy neighbours.
- Orange for early summer
- Autumn colour
- Moist borders
What to plant with griffith's spurge 'Fireglow'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Siberian iris: blue against orange, opposite each other on the colour wheel, if you choose those colours, in flower together for four weeks; happy in the same moist soil.
- Japanese forest grass 'Aureola': its chartreuse leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; low enough (16 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Lady's mantle: red against green, opposite each other on the colour wheel, in flower together for six weeks; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about griffith's spurge 'Fireglow'
Does griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' need sun or shade?
Griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' 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 griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late May to early July. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 4 | Late May to mid July |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Late May to early July |
| Zone 6 | Mid May to early July |
| Zone 7 | Early May to late June |
| Zone 8 | Early May to late June |
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 griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' be planted?
24 in (60 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 3 ft (90 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' plants do I need?
At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 10 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used four in two groups.
Is griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs and cats. The sap can irritate skin and eyes. Can cause vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten.
Is there a pet-safe plant like griffith's spurge 'Fireglow'?
These come closest to doing what griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Globeflower: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 6 in shorter, 6 in narrower.
- Bee balm 'Raspberry Wine': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late June to mid August, red, not orange.
- Golden Alexanders: the same job in a bed; 8 in shorter, 6 in narrower.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Will griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by underground runners, fastest in light, moist soil. Dig out stray shoots each spring.
What flowers after griffith's spurge 'Fireglow'?
Griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' is over by early July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Daylily: from late June to early August, 2½ ft tall.
What does griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' look like in winter?
Griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' 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.
More Euphorbia
- Cushion spurge Euphorbia polychroma
- Cushion spurge 'Bonfire' Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire'
- Cypress spurge Euphorbia cyparissias
- Donkey-tail spurge Euphorbia myrsinites
- Flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
- Mediterranean spurge Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii
- Purple wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea'
- Spurge 'Ascot Rainbow' Euphorbia x martini 'Ascot Rainbow'
- Spurge 'Blackbird' Euphorbia 'Blackbird'
- Spurge 'Chameleon' Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon'
- Wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 3 ft (90 cm) tall, 3 ft (90 cm) wide
- Plant
- 24 in (60 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium tall (2½ to 3 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Late May to early July; dense clusters; orange, red
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; green, red
- Shape
- Upright, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.