leafy spurge

Plants: Forbs/Herbs
Magnoliopsida > Euphorbiales > Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia esula L.
Synonym(s): wolf's milk
Leafy spurge is an erect, perennial, herbaceous plant that grows from 2 to 3.5 ft. (0.6-1.1 m) tall. Leaves are oval-shaped, smooth and 1-4 in. (2.5-10.2 cm) long. The plant produces a milky sap if stem is broken or a leaf is removed. The stem is smooth and bluish-green. Flowering occurs in the late spring (and sometimes the late summer), when yellow flowers develop in clusters at the apex of the plant. Fruits are 3 lobed capsules that explode when mature, spreading seeds up to 15 ft. (4.6 m). Large infestations give the landscape a yellowish tinge due to the yellow bracts. Leafy spurge invades prairies, pastures and other open areas. It is a major pest of national parks and nature preserves in the western United States. It can completely overtake large areas of land and displace native vegetation. Leafy spurge is native to Europe and was introduced accidentally into North America in the early 1800s as a seed contaminate.

118 records

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Image Descriptor Description Photographer
0024080 Biological Control attacke by a fungus disease Norman E. Rees
1459902 Control Packing herbicides in by horse Steve Dewey
1459622 Feature(s) Roots Steve Dewey
1459608 Feature(s) Roots Steve Dewey
1459612 Feature(s) Stem and foliage Steve Dewey
3970064 Feature(s) (a) flowering stems, (b) dense patch Montana State University Archive
5358633 Feature(s)

Close-up view of the stem of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), showing latex oozing from a wound.

L.L. Berry
5360180 Feature(s) K. George Beck
1299195 Field Randy Westbrooks
1428095 Flower(s) Close up of flower, Rist Canyon, near Fort Collins. William M. Ciesla
1459613 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
1459614 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
1116083 Flower(s) Norman E. Rees
1624004 Flower(s) Native to Eurasia, is on of the most serious weeds in the northern United States, causing millions of dollars in crop losses and control costs. George Markham
2128025 Flower(s) Chris Evans
1459624 Flower(s) Steve Dewey
2128028 Flower(s) Chris Evans
2151065 Flower(s) Chris Evans
2153058 Flower(s) Montana Statewide Noxious Weed Awareness and Education Program Archive
3943076 Flower(s) Close up of flower, near Fort Collins. William M. Ciesla
5391647 Flower(s)

On a TNC preserve

Barry Rice
5271075 Flower(s) Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5392144 Flower(s)

Flowers

John M. Randall
5400150 Flower(s)

habitat

Robert Vidéki
5400151 Flower(s)

habitat

Robert Vidéki
5234092 Foliage Richard Old
5234093 Foliage Richard Old
5234094 Foliage Richard Old
1428098 Foliage Foliage of leafy spurge at peak of fall coloring. William M. Ciesla
5376451 Fruit(s) Julia Scher
5366268 Fruit(s)

seed set

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366269 Fruit(s)

seed set

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366270 Fruit(s)

seedset

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5392142 Infestation

A storm of weeds

John M. Randall
5392143 Infestation

Green patch

John M. Randall
5330093 Infestation Todd Pfeiffer
5330094 Infestation Todd Pfeiffer
5330095 Infestation Todd Pfeiffer
5330096 Infestation Todd Pfeiffer
5330097 Infestation Todd Pfeiffer
5330098 Infestation Todd Pfeiffer
5358594 Infestation

Extensive infestation (monoculture) of leafy spurge, Euphorbia esula.

L.L. Berry
5360179 Infestation

Left field grazed by sheep, right field ungrazed

K. George Beck
3970065 Infestation rangeland severly infested USDA ARS Archive
5391646 Infestation

On a TNC preserve

Barry Rice
1299179 Infestation Cows grazed at bottom of picture but no further Randy Westbrooks
1459621 Infestation Steve Dewey
1459625 Infestation Steve Dewey
1459623 Infestation Steve Dewey
1624003 Infestation Steve Dewey
5271074 Infestation Leslie J. Mehrhoff
3943077 Infestation Infested meadow, Rist Canyon, west of Fort Collins William M. Ciesla
2153060 Infestation Montana Statewide Noxious Weed Awareness and Education Program Archive
2153061 Infestation Montana Statewide Noxious Weed Awareness and Education Program Archive
2308084 Infestation Leslie J. Mehrhoff
1116084 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0025064 Infestation Horses running through research site Norman E. Rees
0023082 Infestation Norman E. Rees
0025026 Infestation with intermittent dead plants (Probably from disease) Tony Caesar
1459615 Infestation Steve Dewey
1459616 Infestation Steve Dewey
1459617 Infestation Steve Dewey
1428096 Infestation Grassy area invaded by leafy spurge. William M. Ciesla
1428097 Infestation Meadow in Rist Canyon, west of Fort Collins, invaded by leafy spurge. William M. Ciesla
1459609 Infestation Utah State University Archive
1459610 Infestation Utah State University Archive
0024041 10 foot trench showing the length of exposed roots USDA ARS Archive
0024042 broken exuding latex sap. Norman E. Rees
0025025 Plant(s) root USDA ARS Archive
0025049 Plant(s) young plant Norman E. Rees
0025061 Plant(s) seed heads Norman E. Rees
0025062 Plant(s)

in flower

Norman E. Rees
1116085 Plant(s) Norman E. Rees
1116086 Plant(s) Charles T. Bryson
1148103 Plant(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1299175 Plant(s) John M. Randall
1459611 Plant(s) In grain Steve Dewey
1459618 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1459619 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1459620 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
2153059 Plant(s) Montana Statewide Noxious Weed Awareness and Education Program Archive
2153057 Plant(s) Montana Statewide Noxious Weed Awareness and Education Program Archive
2128029 Plant(s) Chris Evans
2128030 Plant(s) Chris Evans
2128031 Plant(s) Chris Evans
2128032 Plant(s) Chris Evans
2151064 Plant(s) Chris Evans
2128026 Plant(s) Chris Evans
2128027 Plant(s) Chris Evans
1459626 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1459627 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1442037 Plant(s) USDA Forest Service - Rocky Mountain Region Archive
5400152 Plant(s)

 habitat

Robert Vidéki
5392145 Plant(s)

A small clump

John M. Randall
5392146 Plant(s)

A small clump

John M. Randall
5400149 Plant(s)

habitat

Robert Vidéki
5234091 Plant(s) Richard Old
5366261 Plant(s)

bolting

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366262 Plant(s)

early flower

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366263 Plant(s)

early flower

K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5271076 Plant(s) Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5271077 Plant(s)

E. esula on right and E. cyparissias on left

Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5271078 Plant(s)

E. esula taller plants and E. cyparissias shorter plants in back

Leslie J. Mehrhoff
5391645 Plant(s)

On a TNC preserve

Barry Rice
0025063 Research research site Norman E. Rees
0025082 Research Feet with 1/10th meter daubenmeyer frame for sampling a site in the pilot program Norman E. Rees
0025051 Research host specificity field testing with Leafy Spurge by EBCL USDA ARS European Biological Control Laboratory
0025052 Research studying feeding damage in host specificity study Norman E. Rees
5364432 Seed(s)

Seeds of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula).

Howard F. Schwartz
5376446 Seed(s) Julia Scher
5376447 Seed(s) Julia Scher
5376448 Seed(s) Julia Scher
5376449 Seed(s) Julia Scher
5376450 Seed(s) Julia Scher
5366266 Seedling(s) K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366267 Seedling(s) K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366264 Stem(s) K. George Beck & James Sebastian
5366265 Stem(s) K. George Beck & James Sebastian


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