BellinaThe Whisper of the White Ghost
It was one of those breezy days in Niagara Falls, the kind that teases you into wandering just a little farther than you intended. I had set out on a routine plant hunt, chasing down Hoya varieties, when a quiet pull guided me into Vermeer’s Garden Centre, a familiar stop nestled among my favorite haunts when visiting the Falls.
As always, my eyes scanned for Hoyas, but then something unusual caught the corner of my eye. A Euphorbia lactea ‘White Ghost Crested Grafted’. It wasn’t a plant I normally gravitate toward, especially since I tend to avoid grafted specimens, but this one had presence. Its wild, sculptural form, with curling crested ridges and eerie, pale variegation, seemed to glow under the greenhouse light. It didn’t fit my typical style, but it spoke to me.
I didn’t overthink it. I listened to that voice, the one that only serious plant lovers understand, and took it home.
Years have passed since that unexpected addition to my collection. So many, in fact, that I almost forgot how long it had been with me. I cared for it, watered it, moved it with the seasons, but I never truly saw it until a recent chat with a fellow plant enthusiast on Instagram stirred my memory. That day, I paused. I looked. And I realized how much it had grown.
Now, it’s a massive plume of ghostly beauty, thick, variegated, and edged in delicate blush pink at the growth tips. A single reverted stalk reaches skyward defiantly. By the books, I should prune it off. But I don’t have the heart. There’s something charming in its rebellion.
The Euphorbia thrives on my balcony in the summer, basking in bright, direct sunlight without a single sunburn. I water it weekly when it’s hot, easing back to once a month or less during winter dormancy. With each watering, I feed it lightly. It asks for so little and gives back so much.
Every visit to Vermeer’s since reminds me of that impulse, that moment of quiet magic in the greenhouse. What started as an afterthought has become one of the most striking and cherished members of my collection.
Sometimes, it’s not the plants you seek that matter most. It’s the ones that find you.
Care Summary: Euphorbia lactea ‘White Ghost Crested Grafted’
Light: Bright, direct sunlight (outdoors in summer)
Watering: Weekly in summer, monthly or less in winter
Feeding: Light feeding with each watering
Growth: Slow but steady, can develop reverted stems
Notes: Grafted plant, low maintenance, prefers warm, dry conditions
