Leafy spurge seeds can launch up to 15 feet. The noxious weed also spreads by roots.

The Enemy

Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). This is the devil of all weeds that most of us will face. It is a very deep, up to 30 feet, perennial plant that spreads by creeping roots and can launch its seeds up to 15 feet.

The seeds are mostly spread by small birds.

It can send up a runner from the root from as deep as 10 feet. It has a very distinct yellow/green color at the flower head, which can be most noticeable from long distances.

The plant produces a milky juice throughout the entire plant. It has dark green narrow simple leaves that originate from the main stem.

In the late summer the plant loses its leaves and and what is left is a red to orange stem.

It grows in dry or moist areas and can spread into non-disturbed places and disturbed areas and ditch banks and roadsides and riparian areas and gardens and lawns.

As you can tell, it can and will grow anywhere.

This plant is toxic to most animals that eat it. The milky juice is known to cause serious eye damage in humans and animals.

It also can cause blisters around the lips of animals that attempt to forage upon it.

The plant rapidly becomes a solid monoculture of which no other plants can invade.

It can singlehandily take out desirable grasses, forbs and shrub and trees. Parts of Oregon, Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas have lost thousands of acres of land to this nasty invader.

The defense

This plant is extremely difficult to control due to its very extensive root system. It takes all the tools in our weed tool box to control it.

Some have tried goats and sheep, others utilize insects, many utilize herbicides such as Tordon 22 K (RUP), Plateau in the fall, Banvel plus 2,4-D.

The fact is, all these combined is best.

Best timing is when the plant is in the bud stage (generally early July), other than keeping it from invading in the first place.