# @ahs_gardening on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DSFqfCLjgL_
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/55035529-ahs-gardening-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/7303f43cf0.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-12-10T15:47:18.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Horticultural Society | American Gardener Magazine (@ahs_gardening) — https://gondola.cc/ahs_gardening

## Caption

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) get all the holiday attention, but the euphorbia family is full of year-round characters worth knowing. ⁠
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And while some people do attempt the noble winter tradition of “seeing if the poinsettia will live,” the truth is that unless you garden in Southern California or another Mediterranean climate, the plant usually has other plans. ⁠
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So if you love a festive flair, meet a few poinsettia cousins that happily stick around long after the cookies are gone.⁠
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🌱 Looking for spurge leaves⁠
E. martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’ (Zones 6–9) forms a neat 2-foot mound washed in pink, yellow, and blue-green. It’s an easy way to echo color without making a fuss.⁠
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🍃 Chartreuse, anyone⁠
E. ceratocarpa (Zones 8–10), the Sicily spurge, shoots up to 5 feet with airy, acid-yellow blooms that wake up tired summer borders. Give it space and enjoy its hypnotic sway on breezy days.⁠
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⚾️ A lovable quirk⁠
Batter up. E. obesa (Zones 9–11) looks exactly like a green baseball that decided it had opinions. It thrives in containers with excellent drainage, bright light, and a watering schedule best described as “occasional.”⁠
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🪴 Pretty in pots⁠
E. milii (Zones 9–12), the crown of thorns, blooms nearly year-round in red, pink, yellow, and white. Great in containers or window boxes, or as a houseplant in cooler climates. Spines included. In the ground, it stretches to 3–6 feet tall and up to 3 feet wide.⁠
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Holiday plants come and go, but euphorbia’s range and personality stick with you. For more on this spunky family, read “Euphorbia Unwrapped” in our November/December issue at ahsgardening.org.⁠
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Not a member yet? Join us at connect.ahsgardening.org/join to become a member and get the magazine delivered right to your door. ⁠
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Writer: Rebecca Sweet ⁠- harmonyinthegarden⁠
Photographer: Rebecca Sweet ⁠
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#euphorbia #poinsettias #holidayplants #holidaygardens #eccentricplants #americangardener #ahsgardening #americanhorticulturalsociety #gardeningtips #sustainablegardening #holidayseason

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## Tags

holidaygardens, holidayplants, ahsgardening, euphorbia, sustainablegardening, poinsettias, eccentricplants, americanhorticulturalsociety, holidayseason, gardeningtips, americangardener

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