Euphorbia mellifera (Honey Spurge) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Euphorbia mellifera (Honey Spurge) — 19cm / 3L19cm / 3L
Honey Spurge (Canary Spurge)

Euphorbia mellifera (Honey Spurge)

£19.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingEvergreenRHS award winnerLoved by pollinators
Pot size
19cm / 3L £19.99

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Description

The Euphorbia mellifera, better known as the Honey Spurge or Canary Spurge, is one of the most handsome architectural evergreens you can grow. Native to Madeira and the Canary Islands, it forms a rounded, sculptural dome of long, dark green leaves, each marked with a pale central midrib. In late spring the whole plant is topped with domed clusters of brown and amber flowers that release an extraordinary honey scent, filling the garden with fragrance and drawing in bees and other pollinators. It is a sun loving, coastal shrub that brings real presence to an exotic border or gravel garden.

Grown for structure as much as scent, Honey Spurge sits naturally alongside palms, tree ferns and other hardy exotics, its evergreen dome holding its shape right through the year. It is borderline hardy in the UK, and the key to success is understanding what actually threatens it. Cold on its own is rarely the problem. The trouble starts when that cold arrives alongside wet, as waterlogged winter soil will rot the roots long before frost does. Give it a warm, sheltered position with sharp drainage and it will sail through most British winters.

Water regularly through the first couple of summers to establish a strong root system, after which Euphorbia mellifera becomes impressively drought tolerant. Its love of sharp drainage and warmth makes it a natural choice for coastal and exposed gardens, and its honey-scented spring flowers earn it a place in any planting for pollinators. In colder or wetter gardens it grows happily in a large container of gritty compost that can be moved to shelter for winter. For a fuller picture of how hardy exotics behave through the seasons, see our guide on what to expect.

Please note: like all euphorbias, the milky white sap is a skin and eye irritant and is harmful if eaten, so wear gloves when pruning and keep cuttings away from children and pets.

Every Euphorbia mellifera we supply is nursery-grown, chosen for a healthy, well-branched shape and a strong root system, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Honey Spurge (Canary Spurge)

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Honey Spurge (Canary Spurge)

Euphorbia mellifera (Honey Spurge) needs full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Architectural Coastal & Exposed Exotic Borders Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H3 · Semi-hardy · down to around −5°C

roughly RHS H3 to H4, hardy to about -5 to -10C once established. Keep the crown dry and protect young plants in hard frost.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeNorth-facingEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

full sun for a dense, compact dome, or light partial shade for a taller, looser habit. Shelter from cold, drying winds.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

light and free-draining is essential. Chalk, sand or loam across any pH, but avoid heavy, wet ground.

Watering

Water regularly through the first one to two summers to settle the roots, then it becomes notably drought tolerant. Ease right off in winter so the soil never stays saturated. A spring mulch kept clear of the stems helps hold summer moisture without trapping winter wet. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first one to two summers to settle the roots, then it becomes notably drought tolerant. Ease right off in winter so the soil never stays saturated. A spring mulch kept clear of the stems helps hold summer moisture without trapping winter wet.

Mature size

Height1.5-2.5 m
Spread1.5-2.5 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Apr-May · Orange

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

An evergreen dome-shaped shrub. Give a light trim after the honey-scented flowers fade in early summer; if it gets leggy it can be cut back harder in spring. Wear gloves, the milky sap irritates skin and eyes.

Toxicity

The milky white sap is a skin and eye irritant and is harmful if eaten. Wear gloves when pruning or handling cut stems, wash off any sap promptly, and keep it away from children and pets.

Native range

Madeira, Canary Islands

Family

Euphorbiaceae

Also known as

Euphorbia mellifera (Honey Spurge)

Genus

Euphorbia →
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Euphorbia mellifera hardy in the UK?

Euphorbia mellifera is borderline hardy, rated around RHS H3 to H4 and hardy to roughly -5 to -10C once established. Cold on its own is rarely the problem. The real risk is cold combined with wet, because waterlogged winter soil rots the roots long before frost does. Grow it in a warm, sheltered spot with sharp drainage, keep the crown dry over winter, and protect young plants in hard frost. In colder or wetter gardens grow it in a container that can be moved under cover. For more on how hardy exotics behave through the year, see our what to expect guide.

Why is it called Honey Spurge?

The name comes from its flowers. In late spring the domed heads of small brown and amber blooms give off a rich, sweet honey fragrance that carries right across the garden on a warm day. The scent is a magnet for bees, which is why it earns a place among the best plants for pollinators.

Is Euphorbia mellifera evergreen?

Yes. Honey Spurge is an evergreen shrub that keeps its long, dark green leaves and rounded, dome-shaped outline all year, which makes it valuable for winter structure and architectural foliage. In the mildest gardens it may shed a few older leaves in a hard winter, but it holds its shape far better than most flowering shrubs.

How big does Euphorbia mellifera grow?

It forms a bushy dome around 1.5 to 2.5 m tall with a similar spread, reaching its full size in roughly five to ten years. In full sun it stays denser and more compact, while in partial shade it grows taller and looser. It can also be kept smaller and neater in a large container for many years.

Is Euphorbia mellifera poisonous?

Like all euphorbias, yes. The milky white sap is a skin and eye irritant and is harmful if eaten, so wear gloves when pruning or handling cut stems, avoid rubbing your eyes, and wash off any sap promptly. Keep trimmings away from children and pets.

Where is the best place to plant Honey Spurge?

Choose a warm, sunny, sheltered spot with light, sharp-draining soil. It thrives in exotic borders, gravel and dry gardens, and coastal gardens where the drainage is good and winters are milder. Avoid heavy, wet ground at all costs. It also grows well in a pot of gritty compost.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Meet the family

Everything about Euphorbia

Euphorbia are architectural, low-maintenance plants that need bright light and infrequent watering. This guide covers care for all major types, with an important note on their toxic sap.

More about Euphorbia care
Euphorbia Care Guide
Why Grow Tropicals

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All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

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Euphorbia mellifera (Honey Spurge)
£19.99