Euphorbia marginata (snow-on-the-mountain, "Hatsuyukiso")

Japanese name: ハツユキソウ （初雪草）
Scientific name: Euphorbia marginata

[Overview]
An annual 90–100 cm tall.
The whole plant is tinged with gray.
When the stems or leaves are damaged, a milky white latex comes out.
The stem is erect and branches in the upper part.
Leaves are simple, alternate and oblong.
The leaf margins are irregularly and coarsely cut.
At the branch tips the leaves become whorl-like, and their margins turn white and form bracts.
Small flowers are borne at the center of the bracts.
The flowers are held in cyathia, enclosed in a green urn-shaped involucre, and have no perianth.
There is one gland, which is yellow.
The fruit is a globose capsule.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
The optimum temperature for growth is 20–30°C and for germination 20–25°C, so sow after the temperature has risen sufficiently.
It dislikes transplanting, so when sowing directly, sow 5–6 seeds per spot with 25–30 cm between plants, and thin out.
It prefers sunny, fertile soil that is well drained and retains moisture, but it is not very particular about soil, and it is robust and grows well even if left alone.
In poor sunlight the leaf color may be poor.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
It tolerates dryness.
No fertilizer is particularly needed if fertilizer is applied at planting.
It falls over easily in wind and rain, so provide a stake.
Pinch back if you want to keep the plant height down.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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