Plant Patent #17,257. Cultivar name: 'Waleuphrud.'We are proud to bring red-nosed 'Rudolph' to Wayside gardeners this season! Causing nothing less than a sensation in Europe, this radiant little Spurge has crossed the Atlantic and is now ready to conquer America. Renowned for its bright red bracts in winter, it is a year-round treasure with spring flowers and lovely variegated foliage through summer and fall.
Originally grown as a holiday novelty in containers (it was bred in England by famed hybridizer David Tristram), 'Rudolph' really does seem ready to knock Poinsettias off their perch as the Christmas plant of choice. Its olive-green leaves, 2 to 2 1/2 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide, radiate out from a central stem on very well-branched plants, and in winter each stem is topped by a vivid red bract, so bright "you might even say it glowed"! These bracts remain in place all season, like natural Christmas lights.
When the weather warms in spring, the flowering stems arise, 6 inches long, dark red, and boasting a 4-inch wide cluster of yellow-green blooms with tiny red centers. Very showy, the blooms continue from March through May in most climates, adding a lot of bright color to these compact plants.
Even after the blooms pass in early summer, 'Rudolph' remains attractive. The green foliage is liberally dusted with silver specks and flecks, and the habit remains tight and compact through the summer heat and into fall. There it is -- a full year of changeable looks from a plant destined to "go down in history"!
Euphorbia is so easy to grow, either in containers or the garden. It thrives indoors in brightly-lighted windows through winter, and flourishes outdoors from spring to fall. Untroubled by most pests and diseases, it needs no maintenance beyond good soil drainage and the occasional watering to keep its succulent foliage looking fresh and neat. Give 'Rudolph' a chance to prove himself in your landscape this season! Zones 6-8.
