Last Spring, I marveled at how Euphorbia cyparissius loves to explore adjacent acreage. But I forgot to encomium on why anyone would want to grow the plant. Right. Here's why.
The fluffy foliage is normally a cool blue-green, a quality partner to the lime-yellow flowers. But my cultivar is 'Fen's Ruby', and in Spring her foliage is blushed with burgundy. See?
From the second the plant emerges each April it's its own intrigue, its own coloristic commentary, its own accent color to its own background color. It sings a song with itself, and in perfect harmony, playing horticulture as a solipsism.

I say, wow we need all of that talent we can get.
And in no time at all, then it blooms, acid-lime flowers, adding literal as well as coloristic "top notes" to its jazzy display.
With the foliage so tastefully creative and colorful in its burgundy and blue duet, the flowers are the bright startling cadenza we hadn't seen coming. Just when we'd accepted this plant's bountiful talents, it throws another up into the air right before our eyes.
Even so, there is more to life than Fen's Ruby. I yank it up when it threatens to swamp anything smaller. But taller plants (I'm hoping) don't care if they've suddenly got fluffy burgundy-and-lime ankles.
Here's 'Fen's Ruby' swirling around and past Euphorbia palustris, toward an even more startling color collision, the flourescent-chrome yellow foliage of Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold'.
Isla Gold will get two feet tall and more by June, so it completely safe from Fen's early-Spring swarm. The foliage all calms down a bit by Summer, but for Spring it's a sizzling moment.