Mexican Shrubby Spurge is a tropical shrub native to Mexico that commands attention with its striking burgundy-red foliage and delicate purplish stems. Hardy in zones 10-11, it grows 10 to 15 feet tall as a landscape shrub, though it can reach 30 feet when trained as a tree. North of zone 10, gardeners grow it as a foliage annual, where container plants stay much more compact. In June, showy flowers emerge to complement the dramatic foliage. Its drought tolerance and ability to thrive in full sun make it a bold choice for warm-climate gardens.
Full Sun
Moderate
10-11
180in H x 180in W
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Low
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The burgundy-red leaves are the real draw here, a color you rarely see in tropical foliage plants. Purplish stems add another layer of visual interest, and the broad, rounded leaves reach up to 4.5 inches long. Once established, this shrub handles drought well and tolerates urban conditions, including pollution and reflected heat. It also resists deer and rabbit browsing, so you don't need to protect it from wildlife pressure.
This is a foliage plant grown purely for its ornamental value. Gardeners use it to add dramatic color contrast to tropical and subtropical gardens, in containers, and as a seasonal annual in cooler regions. The burgundy-red leaves work as a textural accent plant and a focal point in mixed borders where warm tones are desired.
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Prune to shape the plant and manage its size, especially if growing it as a contained shrub or training it as a tree form. Container-grown annuals need minimal pruning unless you want to encourage bushier growth.
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“Euphorbia cotinifolia is native to Mexico, where it grows as a tropical shrub and small tree in warm forest environments. The plant reached cultivation through the ornamental nursery trade, where gardeners in frost-free regions and temperate-climate gardeners using it as a seasonal annual have prized it for its uncommon foliage color. Its common names in horticulture, smoketree spurge, tropical smokebush, and Caribbean copper plant, reflect both its appearance and the range of warm regions where it thrives.”