Euphorbia cotinifolia

This is a great plant. Right now it's living in the tropical greenhouse. During the warmer months, it lives outside in it's large pot. As I recall, Pat Lynch donated this and Brad has been using for the last three or four years. It's a great plant either as a stand alone specimen, or as part of a large mixed container.

It's only hardy to USDA Zone 9 (hey, maybe I ought to grow it in Florida) and it has the milky sap typical of Euphorbiaceae. Clearly it's named cotinifolia for its distinctly cotinus like leaves. Probably why I like it.

I've always had a thing for lighted greenhouses at night

So I had to check these lights out when I noticed them from the parking lot this morning. The extra light will promote premature flower production. Probably to facilitate pollination.

On the way to work, in the dark, I listened to a story on the radio about the deleterious effects of artificially extending daylength....for humans. Apparently studies have demonstrated all manner of health problems that are caused or exacerbated by extending the day with artificial light. I may have been hallucinating but I seem to recall a suggestion that we all ought to turn the lights off two hours before we go to bed.....wow. And sit farther from the television. Did they really say that the World Health Organization had determined shift work (night-shift, I assume) to be a carcinogen? I don't know, but the idea that millions of years of evolutionary development of circadian rhythms could be thrown off by artificial light does make a certain amount of sense. Oh my. Anyway I'm pretty sure all Margaret is shooting for is premature flowering.