Books on Euphorbias & Poinsettias |
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| Poinsettias (Euphorbia Pulcherima) belong to a family of plants, many of which look more like cactuses. |
Euphorbia - not to be confused with euphoria, although spotting them among the borders makes their many fans go light-headed.
There are over 2000 species of Euphorbia in the world. They range from annual weeds to trees. They all have latex and a unique flower structure. A significant percentage is succulent, but they mostly originate from Africa and Madagascar. Euphorbias are named after a Greek surgeon called Euphorbus. He was physician of Juba II who was the Romanised king of a North African kingdom, and is supposed to have used their milky latex as an ingredient for his potions.
Euphorbia pulcherrima, the poinsettia, is known all over the world as the flower of Christmas. Growing naturally in Mexico, the plant was named after Joel Poinsett, who introduced them to the United States in the early 1800s. Poinsettias bloom November-December, flowers are small golden cups, known as cyathia, at the top and center of the plant. The red, pink, or white bracts surrounding the inflorescence provide the coloring.
But there is more to euphorbia than just poinsettias - these books cover an interesting family of perennials that include wonderful garden plants that "bloom" with bright yellow bracts in the spring. In the fall the attractive foliage turns a beautiful reddish-orange.
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Euphorbias: A Gardeners' Guide |
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The definitive guide to Euphorbias. | |
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