I love the bright zing that the euphorbia family bring to the spring garden.

Smyrnium perfoliatum brings that same acid yellow colouring to the garden in May, but with the airiness of cow parsley and amazing structural leaves. It is actually an uncommon native plant of woodland and a dream plant for flower arrangers, but not one you see that often. Maybe because it’s a bit tricky to get established (read on to find out how!).

Smyrnium perfoliatum is a biennial so, sow one year to flower the next. I was impatient when my seed didn’t germinate several years ago, so I tossed the pot of compost onto the border and it’s been growing for me ever since. I now recognise its juvenile foliage sufficiently not to weed it out in late summer knowing that its appearance changes come the spring. The stems, holding umbels of chartreuse-yellow flowers, grow straight through the middle of the shiny leaves to a height of 70-90cm.

Close up showing the emerging flower.

Best grown in shade, it works well with white foxgloves, ferns and other shade lovers. Well worth being patient with, as the company Plant World Seeds advises when buying a packet. In their words:

IMPORTANT!!! Sow as soon as possible on receipt no matter when this is. Do not sow in seed trays BUT sow carefully in situ where desired to flower. Cover half inch deep. Germinates slowly in the cold, usually in spring WHENEVER SOWN. Will rarely germinate in a propagator or in artificial heat. Please be very patient, this is good fresh seed. Baby plantlets die down to a tuber the first year!!