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Euphorbia characias 'Portuguese Velvet' - This succulent perennial/ subshrub has gray-green foliage that is covered with soft velvety hairs. It is smaller in height than the more common Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii, growing to only 24-30 inches tall but grows as wide if not even wider. It is attractive year-round and in spring and summer, the flower heads form at the branch tips covering the plant with a chartreuse color.
Plant in full sun to light shade and water sparingly. Like all Euphorbia characias selections this one does an excellent job of seeding itself out, so beware. It is hardy to 0-10 degrees F.
The species, Euphorbia characias is native to Southern Europe, Turkey. The name for the genus is derived from Euphorbus, the Greek physician of King Juba II of Numidia and later of Mauritania. In 12 B.C. King Juba named a cactus-like plant he found in the Atlas Mountains after his physician and later Carl Linnaeus assigned the name Euphorbia to the entire genus. The specific epithet was the Greek name used by Dioscorides for the plant, which was long used medically for the compounds it contains.
The information displayed on this page about Euphorbia characias 'Portuguese Velvet' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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