In the Netherlands, autumn is perhaps the best time of the year when it comes to cut flowers. A typical autumn product that should not be missing is the Euphorbia Fulgens. A product that combines well with the countless autumn products, yet is very striking on its own because of its characteristic and exclusive shapes.

Sustainable control
We visited the Googh nursery, where we were warmly welcomed by the brothers Aad and Gerard Bakker. They were very enthusiastic while telling about the nursery, which their father Koos Bakker started with his wife in 1952. They started with the cultivation of chrysanthemums, freesias and tulips. In 1966, in addition to these products, they also started growing the Euphorbia Fulgens. Unfortunately, the crop is very susceptible to fungi and after two years they decided to stop production of the Euphorbia. When the fungi were under control, Koos Bakker restarted the cultivation of this special product. Nowadays, the ground is steamed against fungi, a sustainable way to tackle the fungi problem. Before the cuttings are planted, the soil is steamed for four hours under plastic, at a temperature of about 80 degrees Celsius. 

Many colours
While talking we walked through the greenhouses, where we were actually a little impressed by the crop. A huge wave of colour greeted us. What a beautiful overwhelming crop.

Aad and Gerard grow six different types of Euphorbia Fulgens on about 2 ha of land. Orange, red, yellow and salmon in autumn. Red and white in winter. Most species are available from September to December. But because the brothers use assimilation lighting in the winter time, they can continue to grow until February while keeping the quality up to standard.

Geneeskrachtig sap
The Euphorbia is a large plant genus from the spurge family. This genus has about 2,300 varieties to be found worldwide. The Euphorbia Fulgens comes from Mexico. The famous Christmas Star (Poinsettia) is also a Euphorbia variety. The name Euphorbia is derived from Euphorbos, the doctor of King Juba II of Mauritania, who, shortly before the beginning of our era was said to have discovered the toxic but also medicinal effect of the white milk juice. Nowadays, the so-called Euphorbia spurge is used in fallow and purifying agents. The spurge milk can cause considerable skin and eye irritation. It can also be dangerous for animals.

When asked how poisonous this is, Aad laughed: "My father is 93, so how poisonous can it be?".

Exclusive inflorescence
The inflorescence is what makes this product a very exclusive product. Euphorbias thrive in a special way: the plant has so-called 'false flowers'. These are called cyathia and are surrounded by bracts. A cyathium consists of a cup-shaped bottom, formed by two sepals. Inside there is one female flower, surrounded by several male flowers with one stamen. Around it there are about four to five honey glands.

The compact bunches are a wonderful addition to a mixed bouquet. The single branches are perfect for field bouquets, which are now very popular among florists. In addition, the beautiful branches can also easily be used in arrangements with a bohemian touch or in bridal bouquets with an exotic atmosphere.

Of course we have made a number of arrangements with the Euphorbia, of which some on oasis. We found the Euphorbia easy to use in oasis and we found that it remains beautiful for a long time.