Sam Droege, no rights reserved (CC0) · iNaturalist

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Euphorbia maculata

spotted spurge

Euphorbiaceae North America

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

Overview

Euphorbia maculata is a low, mat-forming summer annual whose slender, branching stems radiate flat along the ground from a central taproot, spreading 6-20 inches (15-50 cm) wide but rarely more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) high. The small oval leaves are 0.2-0.6 inch (5-15 mm) long, paired along the stems, finely toothed, and usually marked with a reddish to purple blotch near the centre. All parts contain a milky white latex that flows from any broken stem or leaf. Tiny flower-like structures called cyathia appear in the leaf axils from early summer to autumn, each a cup of minute green to pinkish-white parts that is easy to overlook. Small three-lobed seed capsules follow and scatter seed nearby. E. maculata grows in lawns, gardens, pavement cracks, and dry, disturbed ground across much of North America and has spread as a weed worldwide. It roots only at the central crown, so the whole mat lifts with one pull. The latex can irritate skin and eyes.

Native Range

Euphorbia maculata is native to much of North America, from southern Canada through the United States into Mexico. It grows in open, dry, disturbed ground and has naturalised as a weed across Europe, Asia, Australia, and other warm regions.

Suggested Uses

Rarely planted on purpose, it appears as a volunteer in lawns, paths, and dry borders, where it is generally controlled. It has minor value as quick ground cover on hot, bare ground and as a nectar source for small insects. In most gardens it is treated as a weed.

How to Identify

Spotted spurge forms a flat mat of paired, oval leaves, many bearing a reddish-purple blotch in the middle, on slender stems that ooze milky sap when snapped. The tiny cyathia sit in the leaf axils rather than in showy clusters. E. maculata differs from Euphorbia prostrata in its hairier capsules and from non-spurge mat weeds, such as knotweed, by the milky latex that no grass or knotweed produces.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1" - 2"

Width/Spread6" - 1'8"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~18 weeks

Summer Fall

The minute cyathia are produced from June through October, peaking in the heat of summer. They are wind- and insect-visited but far too small to be showy. Seed capsules ripen within weeks and release seed that germinates in warm soil, often through several overlapping generations in one season.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green with reddish blotch

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 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 Range5.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagedry

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Euphorbia maculata needs no cultivation and is almost always managed as a weed rather than grown. It thrives in full sun on poor, dry, compacted soil, including sand, gravel, and pavement cracks, across a wide pH range. As a warm-season summer annual it germinates once soil warms, matures quickly, and dies with the first frost, leaving seed for the next year. Pulling or hoeing young plants before they set seed is the main means of control, made easier by the single taproot. Dense, healthy turf and mulch limit germination by shading the soil. The milky sap can irritate skin and eyes on contact.

Pruning

No pruning is needed. Hand-pulling or hoeing the mats before the capsules ripen reduces the seed bank and limits next year growth. Clearing plants from pavement cracks and bare soil before flowering is the main task.