LEAFY SPURGE — Euphorbia esula L.

Euphorbiaceae — (Spurge Family)

Leafy spurge emerges very early and produces seed continuously throughout the summer.

Leaves are up to 2 inches long 1/8 to 3/8 wide, drooping, bright green and grow alternately from the branching stems.  Seedlings resemble miniature spruce trees.  Up to 3ft. tall, stems, leaves, and flower bracts are smooth.    

Near the top, paired leaf bracts that are oval to heart shaped clasp the stem, like bracts also enclose the inconspicuous three part flower at the end of each stem. 

The round seed capsule that develops is “shot” up to 15 feet from the parent plant.  Seeds are viable for up to 7 years and have a high germination rate at any time. 

Mature tap roots are large, deep, and red-brown; the creeping roots have many pink-red buds that surface to produce new plants.  Broken roots are able to generate new plants so plowing or roto-tilling will increase the number of plants.
All members of the spurge family have a milky white sap that flows out when any part is broken.  The sap may cause blistering on skin, cause blindness if rubbed in the eyes, causes mouth and digestive tract irritation in cattle if ingested, and has caused death.  Gardeners who include ornamental species of spurge in their flower beds beware as all have these same negative attributes.

Leafy spurge is one of the most costly weeds in Fremont County where it infests about 10 thousand acres. 

The following is courtesy of Weeds of the West:

Leafy Spurge is a perennial, which stands erect up to three feet tall; reproduces by vigorous rootstalks and seed. Leaves are alternate, narrow, one to four inches long. Stems are thickly clustered. Flowers are yellowish-green, small, arranged in numerous small clusters and subtended by paired heart-shaped yellow-green bracts. Roots are brown, containing numerous pink buds which may produce new shoots or roots. The entire plant contains a milky juice, which, if rubbed on the face, can cause blindness, or a rash around the mouth and eyes. Seeds are oblong, grayish to purple, contained in a three-celled capsule, each cell containing a single seed. Capsules explode when dry, often projecting seeds as far as fifteen feet.

Leafy spurge is native to Eurasia and was brought into the United States as a seed impurity about 1827. However, it seems to be a serious problem only in North America where it infests almost two and a half million acres, mostly in Southern Canada and the North central United States. It has been reported to cause severe irritation of the mouth and digestive tract in cattle which may result in death. It is often spread down waterways and in contaminated livestock feed. Leafy Spurge is poisonous to cattle.

Growing in nearly all soil types and habitats, Leafy Spurge is virtually impossible to control without the use of chemicals. An extensive root system containing large nutrient reserves makes leafy spurge extremely difficult to control. With these deep spreading roots often exceeding twenty feet in depth, the plant is able to create new buds from the rootstock – so if it is pulled, mowed, burned or cut up – it will persistently come back. Seeds may be viable in the soil for at least eight years.

Growth Habit: Perennial, erect, up to 3` tall, spreading by seed or creeping roots.

Leaves: Alternate, long, narrow, ¼" wide and 2" long, usually drooping.

Stems: Branched near top, hairless, entire plant contains milky sap.

Flowers: Inconspicuous, surrounded by large heart shaped floral leaves which turn yellow-green near maturity.

Roots: Brown, numerous pink buds, deep spreading, very persistent.

Other: Grows in nearly all soil types and habitats. Seed is thrown to 20` by exploding seed capsule.
(Courtesy of Weeds of the West)

Control Strategies:

 

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