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Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii

Wulfen Spurge · Mediterranean Spurge

Family EuphorbiaceaeGenus Euphorbia

Also published as Euphorbia wulfenii. You are in the right place.

A rounded clump of upright stems clothed in narrow blue-green leaves, topped by large heads of yellow-green flowers
The whole plantStefan.lefnaerCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
subshrubPlants of the World Online
Flower
Yellow-greenRead from the photograph on this page

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Read from the photograph on this page — Deno's Garden.

Worth knowing

  • Mediterranean spurge is valued in gardens for surviving drought. Like many euphorbias it has a toxic, sticky white sap, which has been used since ancient times to treat warts and other growths on the skin. Wikipedia: Euphorbia characias

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 6, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 5, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 2 days.

100% germination in 2 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Euphorbia p. 33Public domain
Show the original text
Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae). ' E. wulfenii germ. 70D-40-70D(3/3 on 2nd d) and none in 70L or. 70 GA-3.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Euphorbia p. 33. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Euphorbia p. 33Public domain
Show the original text
Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae). ' E. wulfenii germ. 70D-40-70D(3/3 on 2nd d) and none in 70L or. 70 GA-3.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Euphorbia p. 33. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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