Euphorbia esula

The milky latex found in leafy spurge can cause skin, mouth, and digestive irritation in humans and cattle, yet sheep and goats can graze on this plant with no ill effects.
Photo Credit: © John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org.
Euphorbia esula
Common Name: leafy spurge
Other Common Names: spurge, wolf's milk, wolf's-milk
Plant Functional Group: Forb
Class > Order > Family: Magnoliopsida > Malpighiales > Euphorbiaceae
What does the species look like?

Leafy spurge is an erect, perennial, herbaceous plant, growing 8 to 36 inches tall, with extensive roots and underground creeping stems. Its tiny, greenish flowers are a bit unusual, with one female flower surrounded by several male flowers into a small "flower" (cyanthium). Several to many cyanthia are clustered loosely at the tops of branches; the flowers are insect- and self-pollinated.

Leafy spurge is found in both wet and dry climates, in subtropical to subarctic regions, and in riparian areas to dry hillsides. It can tolerate four and one-half months of flooding. It grows better in coarse-textured soils than in fine-textured soils, and occurs along roadsides, cultivated fields and gardens, and old fields, waste places, dunes, pastures, meadows, sandy banks, river banks, rangeland, and open woodlands.
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AB, AZ, BC, CA, CO, CT, DE, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MB, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NB, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NS, NV, NY, OH, ON, OR, PA, PE, QC, SD, SK, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY, YT
Special Considerations for Observing

If drought seems to be the cause of leaf senescence for a plant, please make a comment about it for that observation.
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see...?
Leaves Initial growth
New growth of the plant is visible after a period of no growth (winter or drought), either from above-ground buds with green tips, or new green or white shoots breaking through the soil surface. Growth is considered "initial" on each bud or shoot until the first leaf has fully unfolded. For seedlings, "initial" growth includes the presence of the one or two small, round or elongated leaves (cotyledons) before the first true leaf has unfolded.
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Leaves
One or more live, fully unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. For seedlings, consider only true leaves and do not count the one or two small, round or elongated leaves (cotyledons) that are found on the stem almost immediately after the seedling germinates. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.
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Flowers Flowers or flower buds
One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds or inflorescences that are swelling or expanding, but do not include those that are tightly closed and not actively growing (dormant). Also do not include wilted or dried flowers.
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How many flowers and flower buds are present? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), simply estimate the number of flower heads, spikes or catkins and not the number of individual flowers.

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
Open flowers
One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.
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What percentage of all fresh flowers (buds plus unopened plus open) on the plant are open? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), estimate the percentage of all individual flowers that are open.

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Fruits Fruits
One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Euphorbia esula, the fruit is a green capsule that dries and splits open, sometimes explosively, to expose the seeds. Do not include empty capsules that have already dropped all of their seeds.
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How many fruits are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
Ripe fruits
One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Euphorbia esula, a fruit is considered ripe when it has dried and split open to expose the seeds. Do not include empty capsules that have already dropped all of their seeds.
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What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Recent fruit or seed drop
One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
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How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
What do these phenophases look like?

There is currently no photoguide available for this species. If you'd like help us create one, use the guidance document and species template provided here. Then send it via email to education@usanpn.org when it is complete.

USDA PLANTS profile for leafy spurge (USDA Symbol: EUES )