Euphorbia martinii Baby Charm - Spurge

Euphorbia x martinii 'Baby Charm' is the dwarf form of Martin's spurge. It grows in a compact, dense cushion and is evergreen. Very attractive, especially during its spring flowering which covers the entire foliage, the bright yellow-green of the cyathia is enhanced by the color of the red nectariferous glands. It is a drought-tolerant plant, which will thrive in a sheltered garden with a very sunny exposure.

'Baby Charm' is directly derived from Euphorbia x Martinii. It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. This family is a natural hybrid that appeared in the south of France, resulting from Euphorbia characias and Euphorbia amygdaloides. These two species coexist in nature and are native to the western Mediterranean Basin (Portugal, western Morocco, Turkey) for the former, and to a large part of Europe and Asia Minor for the latter.

This variety grows quite rapidly and will not exceed 30 cm in height and 40 cm (16in) in width when fully grown. It has a bushy, compact and dense habit. The highly vibrant flowering takes place in April-May. It is unusual and rare in nature due to the structure of its inflorescences: no petals, but brightly colored leaves and bracts to attract insects. At the center of this 'corolla', called a cyathium, are the floral organs and four red nectariferous glands that create a beautiful contrast with the yellow-green bracts. This flowering is so abundant that it completely covers the evergreen foliage, consisting of long, downward-inclined green-blue leaves, inserted along the red stems. The fruiting is a pendulous capsule that bursts open to release its ripe seeds far away. The plant secretes a white latex, which is highly visible when breaking the stems. This latex is toxic, so it is essential to protect your hands when handling the plant as it can cause skin inflammation.

Plant Euphorbia x martinii 'Baby Charm' in light, poor, moist to dry, and most importantly, well-drained soil. Excess moisture in winter should be avoided as it can greatly affect the hardiness of this plant. Gravel-rich soil yields good results. 'Baby Charm' is ideal in dry gardens, rockeries, or on sunny slopes. In this usage, it can be paired with early blue-flowering plants such as 'Corsican Blue' or 'Sappho' rosemary if living in regions with mild winters, or with Anemone blanda, dwarf iris, and aubrieta if winter conditions are harsher. This Euphorbia also adapts very well to containers and flower pots.