Spurge (Miner's Merlot)

Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot'

Name: Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot'
Brand: GROW TROPICALS
Price: 7.99 GBP
Availability: InStock

£7.99

Hardy in the UKSun-lovingEvergreenLoved by pollinators

Pot size

10cm / 0.5L £7.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot', also sold as Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Miner's Merlot' and commonly known as spurge, is one of the most richly coloured hardy perennials you can grow. Its narrow, upright stems carry deep wine-red, burgundy-purple foliage that turns even more intense as the weather cools, then lifts in spring with sprays of zesty lime-green flower bracts. It is the kind of plant that earns its place in a border every month of the year.

Unlike many bold-foliage plants, this one is genuinely tough. Rated around RHS H5, it shrugs off temperatures to roughly -15C once established, and the cold only deepens its colour. It is evergreen in most UK gardens and reliably drought-tolerant, making it a low-effort way to add year-round drama to sunny, free-draining spots. For more on what to expect through the seasons, see our hardy exotics guide.

Water through the first summer to establish, then sit back, as it copes happily with dry spells and gravel gardens. The lime bracts are a magnet for early bees and butterflies, so it works beautifully in a pollinator-friendly planting or threaded through an exotic border. It is equally at home in a container on a sunny patio, so browse our plants for pots for pairing ideas, or explore more drought-tolerant plants to build a low-water scheme. For a silver-leaved contrast, pair it with Euphorbia characias 'Silver Swan'.

Every plant is part of our Hardy Exotics range, nursery-grown and hand-selected for strong roots and healthy colour before it is packed with care.

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.

Find out more

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 Spurge (Miner's Merlot)

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

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 Spurge (Miner's Merlot)

Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot' needs full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Dry & Gravel Gardens Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H5 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −15°C

fully hardy in the UK, with the best colour in an open, bright position.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered

full sun for the deepest wine tones, or partial shade where the foliage stays a touch greener.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

light and free-draining, on chalk, loam or sand; sharp drainage matters most.

Watering

Water regularly through the first summer to help the roots settle, then only in prolonged dry spells. Cut the old flowered stems back to the base in late autumn or early spring to keep the clump tidy and encourage fresh growth. Wear gloves, as the milky sap is a skin and eye irritant. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first summer to help the roots settle, then only in prolonged dry spells. Cut the old flowered stems back to the base in late autumn or early spring to keep the clump tidy and encourage fresh growth. Wear gloves, as the milky sap is a skin and eye irritant.

Mature size

Height50-60 cm

Spread45-60 cm

Reaches full size in 2-5 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

JFMAMJJASOND

Apr-Jun · Green, Yellow

Seasonal colour

SpringSummerAutumnWinterFlowerFoliageBerriesStem

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Cut the old flowered stems right back to the base in late autumn or early spring. Always wear gloves, as the sap is an irritant.

Toxicity

The milky white sap is a skin and eye irritant and is harmful if eaten. Wear gloves when handling, cutting back or dividing, and keep the sap away from eyes. Best kept away from young children and pets.

Native range

Garden origin

Family

Euphorbiaceae

Also known as

Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot'

Genus

Euphorbia →

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot' hardy?

Yes, it is fully hardy across the UK, rated around RHS H5 and coming through temperatures to about -15C once established. Even better, the cold intensifies the burgundy leaf colour, so it often looks its best through autumn and winter.

Do you cut back Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot'?

Cut the old flowered stems right down to the base in late autumn or early spring to keep the clump tidy and encourage fresh growth. Always wear gloves, as the milky sap is a skin and eye irritant.

Is Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot' evergreen?

In most UK gardens it stays evergreen, holding its wine-red foliage right through winter for year-round colour. In very cold or exposed spots it may drop some lower leaves, but it recovers quickly in spring.

Is Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot' invasive?

No. Unlike some of the wild running spurges, this is a well-behaved, clump-forming variety that stays where you plant it. It is an easy, reliable choice for an exotic border or gravel garden.

Can you grow Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot' in pots?

Yes, it makes an excellent container plant given free-draining compost and a sunny spot. See our plants for pots for ideas on pairing it up on a patio.

Is Euphorbia 'Miner's Merlot' good for bees?

The zingy lime-green spring bracts are very attractive to early bees and butterflies, making it a great addition to a pollinator-friendly planting. Just site it where the irritant sap will not be brushed against by children or pets.

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

Why Grow Tropicals

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Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

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From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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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 'Miner's Merlot'

£7.99