Blushing euphorbia'

GrandmaPig

Can anyone help please. I moved into a new build house in Oct 18. The soil is heavy clay. Everything I have planted has survived after initial yellowing, but the euphorbias I have planted in one of the borders have all turned deep red. I am not sure that I would have expected this as in my previous gardens this variety would still be a lime green/yellow colour, awaiting dead heading! They would look lovely if it was autumn! Any ideas of causes or remedies would be very welcome.

josusa47

Is this a plant you just bought, or did it come with you from the old house?  Some plants, famously hydrangeas, change the flower colour depending on the soil chemistry.  If it's a new plant, I guess it was just mislabelled.  If you bought it mail order, I should think you have a claim against the supplier.

Nollie

Hello GrandmaPig, what variety of euphorbia is it actually meant to be?

There are plenty of euphorbias with reddish stems and a type of E. Characias where the bracts/flowers start of green/yellow then turn pink... never seen a fully red/pink one though, that’s certainly unusual!

GrandmaPig

Thanks for your reply! No, its a recently purchased plant, this spring time, and I am pretty sure they were labelled correctly (Ascot Rainbow). I bought quite a few and in other parts of the garden have performed as expected, although very slow growth.

GrandmaPig

Thanks Nollie. I think this variety has red 'tips' in spring and summer, but as you say it's unusual as the whole plant has turned red, and has messed up my planting scheme! I suspect I will enď up moving them...

Nollie

The foliage turns reddish pink in cold weather with some euphorbias and I think that one does as well, hence the ‘rainbow’ bit I guess, but I am sure the flowers aren’t meant to! 

Stab in the dark, but could its roots be cold and miserable in you clay soil or is it in a particularly cold spot, compared to the others? Maybe it’s sulking. Perhaps there was a mix-up at the nursery but not sure what with...

I would follow josusa’s advice and complain to the supplier, show them photos of this one and your other ones and ask an explanation and an exchange. Do let us know what they say, perhaps you have a brand new variety!

GrandmaPig

Its highly possible it is sulking, the soil really is grotty stuff to work with even with lots of good stuff dug into it, but its definitely not in a cold spot. Saying that, everything is growing pretty well, even these colourful euphorbias.  I will definitely take up Josusa's advice though and contact the supplier. Thank you both, I'll let you know their response!