Fueling The Fires Of Flamethrowin’ Fantasy – Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’

What’s happening here?!  Looks like we’ve got a five-alarm florific fire going on!  This foliage is ablaze with some super electric ember-like color that reminds me of a smoldering sunset.  Are you feelin’ the floral fever going on here?!  May I introduce, Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’ sometimes referred to as Griffith’s Spurge.  I first saw this amazing deciduous herbaceous perennial Euphorbia growing in a garden in Europe some years ago.  It was planted en masse and was burning up the landscape with some serious eye-catching color.  At first, I thought all of the color came from the flowers but then, in fact, I realized that its bracts were doing the bulk of the blazing. I had to have it!  The next year I got myself some, planted it, and watched as it set my garden on fiya!  Its effervescence made my backyard come alive.

Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’ is plant of many talents.  First, it’s got fresh, apple green new growth that in autumn transforms into vibrant orange, crimson, and gold color. Secondly, it has vibrant red and fuchsia color running through its stems and mature foliage veins that give it a warm glow.  Lastly, who needs fancy flowers when you can let the foliage create the dreamlike drama of a shimmering summer sunset.  The actual flowers themselves look more like teeny, tiny, space age  tassels adorning the brilliant blaze of bracts.  The look is exceptionally unique.

Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’ is a pretty hardy deciduous herbaceous perennial that likes part sun conditions, well-draining soil,  and regular to low water .  It comes to us from the Himalayas, so guess what?  It’s pretty hardy down to -25 degrees fahrenheit/-31 degrees celsius.  It tends to grow 2-3 feet tall and wide.  If you decide to grow this beautiful bush-fire-of-blazing-color, one way to keep it looking lush is to prune old stems down to the ground in winter.  This will encourage it to produce numerous new stems in spring and numerous new stems means abundant bursts of color come spring, summer, and autumn. My suggestion…find yourself some and catch the fever of the fire glow!