Purple wood spurge

Questions about purple wood spurge

Does purple wood spurge need sun or shade?

Purple wood spurge grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does purple wood spurge grow in?

USDA zones 6 to 9. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).

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

When does purple wood spurge flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid April to late 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 purple wood 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 20 in (50 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many purple wood 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 a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.

Is purple wood spurge 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 purple wood spurge?

These come closest to doing what purple wood spurge does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Eastern bee balm: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers early May to mid June, pink, not green.
• Coneflower 'Kim's Knee High': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers early July to late August, pink, not green.
• Wild geranium: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers early May to late May, pink, not green.

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

Will purple wood spurge spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Short-lived, and self-seeds in open soil. Thin the seedlings in spring.

What flowers after purple wood spurge?

Purple wood spurge is over by late May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
• Astilbe: from late June to mid July, 24 in tall.
• Siberian iris: from late May to late June, 2½ ft tall.

What does purple wood spurge look like in winter?

Purple wood spurge keeps its purple and dark 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.