Euphorbia mellifera

Description

Euphorbia mellifera (canary spurge, honey spurge) is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae, native to Madeira and the Canary islands. It is an evergreen shrub growing to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) or more, with narrow leaves up to 20 cm (8 in) long. In spring it produces brown, honey-scented flowers. The Latin specific epithet mellifera means "producing honey". It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Euphorbia × pasteurii is listed as a hybrid between E. mellifera and E. stygiana. The cultivars ‘Phrampton Phatty', ‘Roundway Titan’ and ‘John Phillips’ have received the RHS AGM. Like all euphorbias, this plant contains a milky-white sap, which oozes out of the stems when cut. This can be a skin irritant and is very harmful to the eyes. Gloves should be worn when pruning,