Cushion Spurge

If you’re looking to add a piece that will remain attractive in your garden year-round, look no further than the Cushion Spurge. This mounding perennial features inconspicuous, green flowers with eye-catching yellow bracts. Its green foliage turns up the heat as fall rolls around, shifting to shades of red, purple and orange. This plant is great for the garden or in a container, reaching 15-18 inches tall by 18-21 inches wide. This is also a great plant for attracting butterflies.

The Cushion Spurge forms a dome or globe-shaped mound. It is a perfect choice for beds, borders, containers, cottage gardens and Mediterranean gardens. It is native to East, Southeast and Central Europe along with Turkey and Libya, and is drought resistant. No need to worry about pesky animals like deer and rabbits in your garden either—the Cushion Spurge is resistant to both.

Cushion Spurge Plant Care

The Cushion Spurge grows best in full sun but appreciates light afternoon shade in areas with hot summers. Avoid too much shade, however. In its native habitat, this plant grows in dry, open woodlands and rocky hillsides, so it does not require a lot of watering to thrive; watering once a week in the summer should suffice. It is tolerant to a variety of poor soils including sandy and rocky. It cannot tolerate water-logged soil, however. Use care if you have children or pets, making sure to keep this plant out of reach. It is extremely toxic to humans and animals.

No special care is needed for this plant. You can cut it back by about a third after flowering to prevent seedlings, however. The cushion spurge does not take well to transplanting after it has established. Damaged stems can be cut off in early spring. Deadheading spent blooms is also recommended, but wear protective gear, as the milky sap from this plant is toxic to skin and eyes. Cushion Spurge doesn’t need a lot of fertilizer, as it can thrive in very poor soils. Fertilizer should only be applied when the plant starts showing nutrient deficiency symptoms on the lower leaves. For instance, when the lower leaves turn yellow, apply a liquid fertilizer at half the recommended strength to the root zone. This should keep the plant healthy for several months. 

Cushion Spurge Plant Spacing

If doing a mass planting, space your Cushion Spurge plants 14-20 inches apart. This is an excellent container plant that can be overwintered with protection. Just make sure to provide a pot with excellent drainage and well-draining soil.

Cushion Spurge Information