Stem

Up to 3 ft. tall; branched; base of plant often woody; entire plant contains milky white sap

Leaves

Mostly alternate, strap-like (linear), 1-2 in. long, 0.2 in. wide and lack hair (glabrous); NO leaf stem (petiole); smooth edges (margins)
Stems have very few leaves; typically small and oval to strap-like (linear) with toothed to lobed edges.

Flower

Small, showy, green to yellow and clustered at tips of stems; bracts below flowers are heart- to kidney-shaped and have the appearance of flower petals
Produces a spherical capsule with 3 chambers, each containing one seed

Root

Creeping, deep root system; new shoots arise from pinkish buds

Photo of leafy spurge plant with green leaves and yellow flowers

Other

Grows well across a wide range of sites; often found in pastures, waste areas, rangelands, field borders and along waterways; known to occur in Elko, Humboldt, Washoe and White Pine counties
Perennial; reproduces by seed and roots; sap can irritate skin, eyes and the digestive tracts of humans and animals; sheep and goats are immune

Photo of a field of leafy spurge plants outside

Control

Mechanical control (mowing, burning, tillage and grazing) can reduce seed production but are often NOT effective due to new shoot growth from roots
Several biological control agents are available
Apply 2,4-D, dicamba or glyphosate to actively growing plants through early bloom; picloram throughout the growing season; imazapic in fall after a killing frost but before loss of milky sap

Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Leafy spurge, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide

Extension Associated Contacts

Heidi Kratsch

Also of Interest:


A Change in the Ecological Understanding of Rangelands in the Great Basin and Intermountain West and Implications for Management: Revisiting Mack and Thompson (1982) Perryman, P., Schultz, B., Meiman, P. 2021, Rangeland Ecology & Management Vol 76, Pages 1-11
Historical Fire and Ventenata dubia Invasion in a Temperate Grassland Ventenata is an invasive annual grass that has rapidly expanded its range across temperate grassland and shrub-steppe ecosystems in western North America. Luke W. Ridder, JoAnna M.Perrena, Lesley R.Morris, Bryan A.Endress, Robert V.Taylord, Bridgett J.Naylore 2021, Rangeland Ecology & Management, Vol 75, March 2021, Pg. 35-40
Strategies for Grazing Management Informational publication on various strategies for grazing management, such as targeted grazing, for fuel management, or with multiple grazing species. Swanson, S., Voth, D. 2019, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, IP-19-02
Nevada Rangeland Monitoring Handbook (3rd) - Introduction This report was designed to provide a clear overview of the complex and often confusing world of rangeland monitoring. Included are a suite of short- and long-term monitoring methods. Swanson, S., Schultz, B., Novak-Echenique, P., Dyer, K., McCuin, G., Linebaugh, J., Perryman, P., Tueller, P., Jenkins, R., Scherrer, B., Vogel, T., Voth, D., Freese, M., Shane, R., McGowan, K. 2018, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno, SP-18-03
Nevada Rangeland Monitoring Handbook (3rd) \| Chapter 01 - A Framework for Monitoring Swanson, S., Schultz, B., Novak-Echenique, P., Dyer, K., McCuin, G., Linebaugh, J., Perryman, P., Tueller, P., Jenkins, R., Scherrer, B., Vogel, T., Voth, D., Freese, M., Shane, R., McGowan, K. 2018, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno, SP-18-03

Associated Programs

Master Gardeners of Nevada

Program trains local gardeners to provide research-based horticulture information to Nevadans.

Grow Your Own, Nevada!

Learn the secrets of high desert gardening

Garden plant and pest sprayers image by Olga Seifutdinova from Getty Images

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management program is a long-term management strategy that uses a combination of tactics to reduce pests to tolerable levels with potentially lower costs for the pest manager and minimal effect on the environment.

Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Leafy spurge