Common names: spotted spurge, prostrate spurge
Scientific name: Euphorbia maculata
Spotted spurge weed can quickly invade a lawn or garden bed and make a nuisance of itself.
Spotted spurge is a dark green plant with red stems that grows low to the ground in a mat-like fashion. It will grow outwards from the center in a rough wagon wheel shape. The leaves will be oval shaped and has a red spot in their center (which is why this spurge is called spotted spurge). The flowers on the plant will be small and pink. The entire plant has a hairy appearance.
In addition to its signature red spots, spotted spurge can be distinguished by the milky sap that is emitted when any plant part is split open. This sap can cause skin irritation in humans and animals.
Flowering takes place from May through October. Tiny, inconspicuous flowers are grouped in small flowerlike cups and are surrounded by white to pink petal-like appendages. Flower clusters are found at the stem tips and along the length of the stem, where one to two small flower clusters are produced where the stem and leaf stalk meet
Spotted spurge spreads quickly throughout weak areas in your lawn by producing several thousand seeds per plant. Even though it is a summer annual, late-season seeds can sprout next spring after lying dormant during cold temperatures. This warm- weather pest begins seed production a mere 5 weeks after germination, so early detection and treatment is key.
Using proper control can not only eliminate it from your yard, but can also help prevent it from growing in your yard in the first place.
