Diamond Snow has dramatically changed how we look at euphorbias, that not-so-glamorous common name of spurge. We all fell madly in love with its sibling Diamond Frost and subsequently gave it hundreds of awards in university trials. Diamond Snow, however, is a game changer.
Although Diamond Snow has only been out two years, it is racking up pages of awards, such as Perfect Score All Season at Oklahoma State, Top Performer at Biltmore Estate and universities like Minnesota, Ohio State, Cornell, Delaware and Florida, just to name a few.
Why, you might ask? Well, the Diamond Snow blossoms are double. To the flower border, mixed container or basket, it is a choice, as the names suggest, frost or snow. Diamond Frost, the original, will always have a place, lending the artist touch to mixed plantings. It is like sprinkles, while Diamond Snow is a main course in your designs. It can get a "holy wow" alongside the most colorful begonia or petunia.
These plants known as spurges, and euphorbias are related to the poinsettia and copper plant, but don’t let that throw you. They really are, and will always be, the toughest flower you can put in the garden. Although they're small in stature, reaching about 12 to 18 inches tall and as wide, these award winners will never be without hundreds and perhaps now thousands of tiny white flowers. You would never really be able to count them all.
For best blooming, select a location with as much sunlight as possible. Some shade is certainly tolerated. Despite its rugged nature, you will still want to give it good bed preparation so it will quickly establish and get happy in your flowerbed.
If you are plagued with tight heavy clay, incorporate 3 to 4 inches of organic matter like compost, humus or peat to loosen and improve drainage and aeration. Plant at the same depth they are growing in their container, spacing plants 10 to 12 inches apart.
It’s strange to me, but in the garden world I regularly watch, it seems the mixed container of basket has captured the lion’s share of Diamond Snow cultivation. Son James, however, has rocked the West Georgia world in using them in the landscape with Boldly geraniums, Meteor Showers verbena and all varieties of begonias.
Diamond Snow, like its sibling, is virtually pest-free and an absolute environmental wonder to gardeners, even more so when you consider the low water requirement. Overly moist soils and overwatering can be fatal. You might think a plant with this many flowers would need some kind of deadheading, but this is simply not the case, as it is self-cleaning and maintenance-free. Another outstanding trait is it is deer-resistant, which I appreciate as they have become an issue at The Garden Guy’s house for the first time.
The double white flowers combine with any other color of flower for a dazzling display. Remember, all colors look better when paired with white. It can also be used in any style of garden from the tropical to the traditional and in baskets or containers. Use them as a filler plant for a baby’s breath-like look in mixed containers. But don’t forget, there is nothing subtle about the display of white.
Whatever excuse you have made for not trying Diamond Snow, make this the year you do. It will be a game changer, whether in the landscape or on the porch, patio or deck.
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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)
(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)
