By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Euphoriba characias `Tasmanian Tiger' is a plant I've admired ever since it was introduced to the trade but for some reason have always talked myself out of buying.  Though every Euphorbia I've grown has been unkillable--and `Tasmanian Tiger' gets good reports as well--somehow it seemed too delicate for my garden.  I couldn't imagine this refined creature  sharing space with rosemary, lavender, agaves, and the rest of my rather macho Mediterranean plants.

But something Steve Brigham, owner of Buena Creek Gardens nursery in San Marcos, said at the last San Diego Horticultural Society meeting struck me as just right.  Though `Tasmanian Tiger' does fine as a garden plant, its striking appearance practically demands that it be the star of a container planting, says Brigham.  And, to make the most of its creamy variegated leaves and flowers, he'd suggest black and chartreuse foliage plants as companions.  Doesn't that give you lots of ideas?

A black potato vine, such as Black Pearl, perchance?

combined with a golden thyme?

Or, black mondo grass, perhaps.

Combined with `Angelina' sedum.

Or a dark-toned dwarf flax, such as `Platt's Black' and Helichrysum `Limelight'.  Or `Zwartkop' Aeonium and, but, you get the idea.  If you come up with combinations you like even better and plant them up, send us photos of the results.