I've been reading about Gopher plants everywhere lately. Garden bloggers in our area have been rhapsodizing about how beautifully they bloom this time of year, singing praises about how they tolerate both heat and cold. I think what finally sold me was when I read about how their milky sap deters predation by our ever present deer.
I'd seen enough. I was a convert. Though I try to use mostly natives, gopher plants are clear winners for our area and I decided to give them a try. As time goes by, I'm beginning to wonder what the term "native" will even come to mean in the future. As climate change and weather disruptions rudely shift the previously drawn temperature zones, naturalists have noted a shifting in the ranges of "native" plants and pollinators right along with them. I'm thinking our idea of what constitutes a zone may need to become a bit more flexible.
But back to the euphorbias. Off to the nursery I went, and came home with two sturdy looking Euphorbia rigida to call my very own.
I haven't decided exactly where I'll place my gopher plants. They appreciate full sun and I have very little of that to offer. To hedge my bets a little I'm considering putting one specimen into a container and the other into the ground. The container I'm leaning towards using is that blue pot with the "necklace"shown above, currently providing a point of refuge for a couple of leftover gifted zygocacti.
I think the yellow green of the euphorbia will be stunning against the deep blue of the pot. The "necklace" for the container shown is yet another borrowed idea, this one an adaptation from Pam at Digging (who originally got her inspiration from a magazine article).
Some of the best ideas (like the best plants) are borrowed, wouldn't you agree?
