Native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, from the southern United States through Central and South America, graceful spurge grows as an upright to spreading herb reaching about 18 inches tall. Its common name is apt: the tiny flowers are surrounded by showy white bracts that give the whole plant a delicate, cloud-like quality through a long bloom season with no deadheading required. The specific epithet hypericifolia notes the resemblance of its leaves to those of Hypericum, and the comparison is a fair one — the foliage is clean, opposite, and elliptic on erect red stems.

In North Carolina and similarly temperate climates it performs as an annual, or can be cut back and overwintered indoors on a sunny windowsill. It prefers full sun to part shade and well-drained soil, tolerating drought, deer, rabbits, and air pollution once settled. The seeds carry no dormancy, germinating quickly wherever they fall, which makes this plant a fast colonizer in containers and nursery stock alike. Handle with gloves; the milky sap irritates skin and eyes, and all parts are toxic if ingested.