Wood spurge

Questions about wood spurge

Does wood spurge need sun or shade?

Wood spurge grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does 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 wood spurge flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late 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 wood 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 24 in (60 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 wood 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.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is 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.

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

Is there a pet-safe plant like wood spurge?

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

• Barrenwort 'Frohnleiten': the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; belongs at the front, not in the middle, 8 in shorter.
• Barren strawberry: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; belongs at the front, not in the middle, 15 in shorter.
• Creeping woodland phlox: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; belongs at the front, not in the middle, 12 in shorter.

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

Do deer eat wood 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 wood spurge spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by underground runners and can crowd its neighbours. Dig out the edges or divide every 2 to 3 years.

What flowers after wood spurge?

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.
• Daylily: from late June to early August, 2½ ft tall.

What does wood spurge look like in winter?

Wood spurge keeps its 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.