The stems of Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii are lengthening, a sign that the end of winter is near. This may be my favorite stage of its development. Although the flower heads haven't yet developed, the stems are at the point that I call the "swan neck" stage, the end of each stem bent gracefully over like a swan dipping its beak into the water. The stems are held rigidly in this position, not like they are wilted and floppy, and if you try to straighten them, you might risk snapping the tip off.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
swan neck
The stems of Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii are lengthening, a sign that the end of winter is near. This may be my favorite stage of its development. Although the flower heads haven't yet developed, the stems are at the point that I call the "swan neck" stage, the end of each stem bent gracefully over like a swan dipping its beak into the water. The stems are held rigidly in this position, not like they are wilted and floppy, and if you try to straighten them, you might risk snapping the tip off.
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My suspicion has been that it protects the tip from damage - that due to the early blooming season, water collecting into the tip and freezing would damage the buds. But now I think that it is more complicated than that. It may also be related to resisting the wind - in high winds, the tip of long shoots can snap like a whip, and cause damage, but the curve prevents this from happening. I'm sure I'm missing some reasons, but so far, these are my theories.
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