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Euphorbia dentata

green poinsettia

Euphorbiaceae Central and southern North America

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

Overview

Euphorbia dentata is an annual of the spurge family growing 4-24 inches (10-60 cm) tall on erect, branching, hairy stems that exude a milky white latex when cut. The leaves are mostly opposite, 1-3 inches (2.5-8 cm) long, lance-shaped to ovate with coarsely toothed margins, and vary from green to slightly paler at the base. The tiny flowers sit in cup-like cyathia clustered at the stem tips, each cyathium bearing one or two stalked, yellow-green nectar glands rather than petals. The surrounding leaves stay green, unlike the red-blotched bracts of the related E. cyathophora. Native to the central and southern United States and Mexico, E. dentata grows on prairies, roadsides, fields, and disturbed ground, and has naturalized in South America, Europe, and Australia. As an annual it sets seed in a three-lobed capsule that ejects seed explosively, then dies with frost. The milky latex contains irritant diterpene compounds that can inflame skin and eyes and is poisonous if eaten. One limitation is that it behaves as an agricultural weed in row crops, competing with seedlings on open ground.

Native Range

Euphorbia dentata is native to North America, from the central and southern United States south into Mexico. It grows in prairies, open woods, fields, and disturbed sites, and has naturalized in South America, southern Europe, southern Africa, and Australia.

Suggested Uses

Euphorbia dentata is not grown ornamentally and is treated mainly as a weed of crops and disturbed land. It has limited use in native-plant and pollinator studies for its insect-attracting nectar glands. The milky latex limits handling and garden use.

How to Identify

Look for an erect annual spurge with mostly opposite, coarsely toothed leaves and stems that bleed white latex when broken. The green-leaved flower clusters carry small yellow-green glands rather than coloured bracts, separating it from E. cyathophora, whose upper leaves are blotched red. The three-lobed seed capsule and milky sap confirm the spurge family.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 2'

Width/Spread6" - 1'6"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~14 weeks

Summer Fall

The cyathia appear from summer into autumn, roughly July through October, and continue until frost. The petal-less clusters are pollinated by small insects drawn to the nectar glands. Capsules ripen a few weeks later and split to fling the seed.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Euphorbia dentata grows in full sun to light shade on dry to moderately moist soils across a pH range of about 6.0 to 7.5. As a warm-season annual it germinates in late spring once soils warm and grows quickly through summer. It tolerates poor, sandy, and compacted soils and short drought. The plant self-sows heavily from explosively dispersed seed and needs no cultivation. It colonizes disturbed, open ground and crop rows. Frost ends the plant in autumn.

Pruning

As an annual, E. dentata is not pruned. Cutting or pulling before the capsules ripen reduces self-sown seed, though the cut stems release irritant latex. Plants killed by frost need no removal beyond clearing the dead stems.