Ever wanted to grow those stunning Euphorbias which are a feature of gardens in late winter and spring with their big green and gold flower heads carried on tall, sturdy stems? You might have been put off by their size if you have a small garden, for they stand a good metre tall during their lengthy flowering season. But now there’s a new variety, Euphorbia characias ‘Kea’, which grows half the height, has very appealing deep blue-green foliage and lots of lime gold flowers in spring. The range of colours of flowers and foliage is considered to be similar to those of the kea, that cheeky high country parrot, hence the inspiration for the name.
This is one of those plants that appeals because it grows with the greatest of ease and looks darned good throughout the year, becoming especially appealing during the flowering season. It’s cold hardy, tough enough to grow on a Central Otago hillside or rugged northern sand dune, and sufficiently architectural to warrant inclusion in the artiest of contemporary gardens.
The green, lime and gold colours of Euphorbia Kea’s flowers and foliage make it a natural for combining with bright flower colours, from red and oranges to golds and blues. Or for a bit of surprise try it with white flowers such as marguerite daisy ‘Summer Lustre’ which, despite its name, actually starts flowering in very early spring.
Euphorbia ‘Kea’ is also ideal for mingling with bronze tussock grasses and the creamy-gold foliage and flowers of Cassinia ‘Greenhills’, a small native shrub which is as distinctive as it’s attractive. ‘Kea’ is also good with low growing Leucadendron varieties such as ‘Clone 91’ and ‘Rising Sun’, both of which have lots of red colour during winter and early spring.
Try it too with lavenders and for a carefree, low maintenance planting, in the foreground of compact shrubs such as Choisya ternata, Dichroa ‘Blue Sapphires’ and Nandina ‘Gulfstream’ (which takes on its best orange colouring in poor soils).
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Schemes & Themes
using Liddle Wonder Plants