As the Texas mountain laurels fade and the redbuds glow rosily at their peak bloom, the gopher plants (Euphorbia rigida) are doing their best to outshine everything else in my garden with their screaming yellow flowers.

They outshine even the ‘Color Guard’ yuccas.

Pulsing color held aloft on sinuous blue-green stems—do you need sunglasses yet?

Here’s the new cultivar ‘Winter Blush’ that I’m growing this year. (The photos above this one are all of the regular species.)

‘Winter Blush’ offers a slightly tighter form and a hint of rosiness in the leaves. Either way, you can’t go wrong with gopher plants for an eye-popping spring show.

Last day to enter the giveaways! The Lawn Gone! Book Party is rockin’, and you’re invited! Seven bloggers are hosting 7 cool, alt-lawn related giveaways this week. Today is the final day to enter. Find all the links on my giveaway post, and leave one comment on each one for your chance to win!

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