Plant Profile: Gopher Spurge

Gopher spurge, gopher plant, upright myrtle spurge, silver spurge and rigid spurge are all just a few of the common names that Euphorbia Rigida is known by. This is a beautiful plant that has blue/green stems with elongated triangular leaves and will be the first plant to bloom in spring with bright chartreuse flower clusters that the pollinators will go crazy over. This plant is extremely hardy, easy to grow and will compliment many landscape designs. 

Gopher Spurge Description

This is an attractive plant that adds interest to many different types of landscapes. It would do wonderful in xeriscaping, rock gardens, native and cactus/succulent gardens just to name a few. These plants are very versatile in the garden and can be used as a focal point, background or foreground. It is nice that they are evergreen and can be planted in a spot that is enjoyed year round. Gopher spurge will stand out in gardens because of the unique and eye-catching tall blue/green stems that have long triangular shaped leaves that spiral up the stem. When the gopher spurge blooms, it is the first sign of spring in the garden. A lot of pollinators are attracted to the pleasing bright chartreuse flower clusters. After winter, hearing happy bees and seeing splashes of yellow in the garden is truly delightful!

Interesting Gopher Spurge Facts

• In 12 B.C., King Juba II of Numibia and Mauritana named the entire genus Euphorbia after his Greek physician named Euphorbus. Euphorbus wrote that he found a succulent spurge in the High Atlas that was a powerful laxative.
• Gopher spurge is native to Europe, Middle East and southwest Asia.
• Gopher spurge received its common name because it was thought to repel gophers.
• When a stem is broken a milky sap will leak from the plant. That liquid can be a skin irritant for some people. Please wear gloves when pruning this plant.
• Since Euphorbias are known for growing well in hot and dry areas, some scientists are looking at different varieties for their ability to be converted into biofuels.
• Animals are not attracted to eating this plant because of the milky white sap. The sticky liquid is supposedly bitter making it an undesirable snack for animals.
• Seeds are not shelf stable.

Gopher Spurge Care

This plant is extremely hardy! It can handle the very high temperatures of the summer. This summer we reached 116 degrees F and these lovely plants were not bothered in the slightest. Gopher spurge is quite hardy with cold temperatures as well. They can handle cold temps as low as 0 degrees F. It is quite unusual for a plant to handle both temperature extremes so well.

These plants are hardy with all soil types: sandy, loam and clay. Since gopher spurge loves dry soil, they are susceptible to root rot so be careful not to overwater your plants and make sure they do not sit in water. Other than making sure their roots do not remain soggy, they really are not picky plants to have in the yard.

They also grow quite well in the ground or in a pot. Make sure the pot is well draining to prevent root rot. Terra cotta pots are a good choice since they are more breathable than plastic pots and use a potting soil for cactus/succulents. This potting soil is designed for good drainage and helps prevent plants from staying too wet.

Gopher spurge like to grow in full sun but tolerate partial shade, they are tremendously drought tolerant, are not plants that animals like to nibble on and do not require fertilizer. If you do decide to fertilize, choose a mild one with a low NPK. These plants are so drought tolerant that once established they do not require being on drip irrigation. Plants not on irrigation may require extra water during the extreme summer heat. These plants really try hard at making themselves easy to care for!

In the spring, after they bloom they do require the flower stems to be trimmed. Make sure to grab your gloves so the milky sap from the stems doesn’t bother your skin and take care not to rub your eyes. Carefully grab the old flower stem and trim at the base of the plant. This is easy to do but can be tedious because one plant can have several flower stems.

Gopher Spurge Propagation

Gopher spurge seeds are not shelf stable so you should not find seeds in stores. Nurseries propagate these plants from cuttings and you can too.

As a home gardener we can propagate this plant by division, cuttings and/or allowing the plant to self seed on its own.

Since the gopher plant is a euphorbia, it propagates like a succulent. Cut a non-flowering stem, remove lower leaves, allow the stem to dry for a day or two and plant the cutting in moist potting soil. Keep the soil moist until the stem has rooted. 

We have not had our gopher spurge plants long enough to have the need to divide them. I read that if you are going to divide your plants, begin from digging up the outer plants and working toward the middle.

If you do not mind your plants reseeding, then after they blossom leave the blossom stem and the blooms will develop round, green clusters. These will end up being the seed pods. They reseed so well on their own that some gardeners consider them invasive. 

Gopher Spurge Companion Planting

We are companion planting our gopher spurge plants with our fruit and nut trees. Gopher spurge is one of the few plants that bloom right at the beginning of spring when the fruit and nut trees are. Since bees and other pollinators love the flowers we are hoping by combining these two plants that we will get better pollination for our trees.

Gopher spurge make excellent additions in native, cactus and succulent gardens. They add height, color/texture interest and their attractive blossoms add dimension to gardens. They combine well with native plants, cactus and succulents because they are extremely drought tolerant and will handle the same watering conditions.

Quick Facts: Gopher Spurge

I hope this article has encouraged you to give gopher spurge a try if you think it will fit into your landscape. I want to thank my mom for allowing me to take pictures of all her beautiful plants since ours are still getting established and for her patience while I asked her many questions about her experiences growing this wonderful plant.

Happy desert gardening and don’t forget to take time to enjoy your garden!

Joy Simper has a full time job as a home schooling stay at home mom. She is the one that holds the house and yard together and keeps the kids in line. She enjoys gardening, including seed starting and propagating plants.