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
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
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
