If you’re looking for reliable succulents for your garden, you won’t go wrong with award winning spurges. These are also known as Euphorbias.

Several kinds of spurges were award winners at the University of Florida trial gardens during 2006. At the trials, more than 650 varieties were planted with 238 of these being new ones.

Diamond Frost spurge is a new Proven Winners variety that did well during the Florida trials. It was named as one of the 2006 spring award winners. The spring season in Florida is comparable to summer conditions in other parts of the country. So, if it does well there, it should provide good garden performance in other areas of the country as well. The spring gardens in Florida were planted during the last ten days of March. Then, researches evaluated the plant’s performance every two weeks until the end of July.

For the spring of 2006, Diamond Frost spurge was named a Best of Trials winner for spring and for summer at Florida. This was also named Best of the Best winner at the University of Georgia trial gardens in Athens. Diamond Frost was a top performer at Ohio State as well. It also received a Superior Rating at Colorado State trials.

This is recommended for containers and as a bedding plant. It reaches over a foot in height. This adapts well to both full sun and partial shade. Quite tolerant of heat, it shows very good drought tolerance. However, for best results don’t allow the soil to become completely dry. Should this happen, the plant can defoliate. If the plant drops its leaves, a new spurt of growth will bring new ones.

Reaching about 1¼ feet in height, it is wider than tall. Diamond Frost spurge blooms throughout the season from late spring through the fall. The flowers are unlike those of other spurges in that they open on short flower stalks that emerge from all around the sides and top of the plant. These are wispy white sensations that create a billowy effect and just cover the plant.

This variety is generally treated as an annual. It makes a very nice flowering plant for indoors. In that case, it should continue flowering for six weeks or so.

For the winter holidays, you can create stunning seasonal display with Diamond Frost spurge. Just interplant it with a tall poinsettia to create a striking combination. The large colorful bracts of the poinsettia serve as a perfect foil for the graceful beauty of Diamond Frost.

In addition to Diamond Frost, Burgundy Wine spurge, another Proven Winners variety, also did very well during the Florida trials. It was named a Best of Trials winner for the summer garden season.