Description
Snow-on-the-mountain is an annual of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) from North America. Members of the genus are annual herbs or subshrubs with rhizomes and adventitious roots, and some species are succulents. All parts of the plant contain milky sap. The flowers are gathered in compound, cyme-like inflorescences with an involucre. The leaves are alternate, opposite or sheathing, in many species gathered in rosettes at the shoot tips. The flowers usually have no perianth and are gathered in clusters surrounded by a common cup-shaped involucre that acts as a single flower.
Requirements
It needs fertile, free-draining soil and a sunny position.
Propagation
Snow-on-the-mountain is propagated by seed sown from mid-April directly outdoors in the final position. After the seedlings come up, thin them out to 20–30 cm apart. You can also sow in a seedbed in early spring and plant out in May at 20 x 30 cm.
Care
It can be used as a cut flower: pull the plants up with their roots, cut the roots off just before putting the stems in water, and let the milky sap run out first – only then place them in vases.