Spurge 'Chameleon'
Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon' · Euphorbiaceae
A soft mound of small, rich purple leaves, with greenish-yellow flowers tinted purple in late spring. It colours orange and red in autumn.
- Size
- 18 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers early May to mid June
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around spurge 'Chameleon'
The planner designed this bed around spurge 'Chameleon' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why spurge 'Chameleon' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Spurge 'Chameleon' × 5, purple leaves
- 2 Bloody cranesbill 'Max Frei' × 9, pink
- 3 Creeping mahonia × 3, yellow
- 4 Foxglove beardtongue × 3, white
- 5 Brown-eyed Susan × 3, yellow
- 6 Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' × 1, white
- 7 Surprise lily × 12, pink
- 8 Red spider lily × 8, red
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- In the middle. At 18 in it is the step between creeping mahonia (12 in) in front and deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' (2½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- A step in the back row. Next to deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' (2½ ft) and foxglove beardtongue (3½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 5 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 14 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as a cottage garden: 24 of the 24 plants (100%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. The scheme leans hot (yellow and red) and uses pink for relief, with white to calm things between them. The most in flower at one time is 3 kinds, from late May.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 6 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 spurge 'Chameleon' goes in a border
At 18 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
A dark filler for the front of a border in sun or part shade. It is short-lived but seeds true, so a colony keeps going. Mildew can spoil it in dry summers.
- Purple foliage at the front
- Filling between shrubs
- Part shade
What to plant with spurge 'Chameleon'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Lady's mantle: adds the flowers, late May to early July.
- Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'.
- Coral bells.
Questions about spurge 'Chameleon'
Does spurge 'Chameleon' need sun or shade?
Spurge 'Chameleon' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), 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 spurge 'Chameleon' grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should spurge 'Chameleon' 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 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many spurge 'Chameleon' 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 five in one group.
Is spurge 'Chameleon' 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 spurge 'Chameleon'?
These come closest to doing what spurge 'Chameleon' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Coral bells 'Berry Smoothie': the same job in a bed and the same size; bold leaves, not medium.
- Bluestar 'Blue Ice': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid May to late June.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Will spurge 'Chameleon' spread?
It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Short-lived, and self-seeds true to colour. Thin the seedlings in spring.
What does spurge 'Chameleon' look like in winter?
Spurge 'Chameleon' 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
- Griffith's spurge 'Fireglow' Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow'
- Mediterranean spurge Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii
- Purple wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea'
- Spurge 'Ascot Rainbow' Euphorbia x martini 'Ascot Rainbow'
- Spurge 'Blackbird' Euphorbia 'Blackbird'
- Wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae
In these guides
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 18 in (45 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Early May to mid June; dense clusters; green, purple
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; purple, burgundy
- Shape
- Mounding, self-seeding
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- 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.