Euphorbia Species, Creeping Spurge, Donkey Tail, Myrtle Spurge

On Jan 28, 2020, OHgrammy from Albuquerque, NM wrote:

I knew that there were some handling issues with this plant but felt comfortable enough to plant one. We also don't have any dogs or young children playing in our yard. We're in NM and I needed something for the south side, direct sunlight all day, kind of space. It's in a raised flower bed with no other plants around it. Below the bed the ground is covered with small pieces of volcanic stones. So once it fills up this space, there is no place else for it to go. It's perfect for the location. I have had it for almost 2 years and it really is quite an interesting plant, we call it Mr Octopus.

On Jun 24, 2016, Adtuesdays from Nampa, ID wrote:

My puppy, being as playful as puppies are, was chasing a reflection and ran straight into the plant, face first. When we moved in, the plant was already there. We didn't think much of it until he broke out in hives all over his face, which soon began to spread on his legs and back. They just keep growing, and he is in so much pain. He is usually insanely hyper when people come over, and he didn't even budge when people came inside. All he is doing is sleeping and every so often, pawing at his face. Poor pup!

On Apr 9, 2014, Lauribob from Twisp, WA wrote:

I have this in my rock garden where it can get a bit thuggish if you let it. I haven't found it to be disturbingly invasive - it has spread around the immediate vicinity. I will use care in the future when I'm jerking out the extras, but I've never had a skin problem with this one and I'm highly allergic to poison ivy.

On Dec 21, 2012, JoJo70 from Bethel Acres, OK wrote:

I use this plant extensively in my own sandy soil by a lake in central Oklahoma. I also planted it in a raised planter on the highway where we have a sign for the lake. We have to carry water to the planter and because of that it is ideal as it survives our dry hot heat. I have a large rock, some day lillies and the spurge in the top layer of the 4 by 8 planter. The bluegreen color reminds me of the color I wish our lake was but since this is Oklahoma, that's not happening. The center does seem to die back every year and I simply break off a few pieces on the edge and stick them in the ground where needed and they fill in the empty space in no time. I usually don't wear gloves and have never had any dermatitis from the plant. I am allergic to poison ivy so I do not have a strong immu... read morene system to plant life. I will tell my grandchildren to be careful around it from now on since I read all the horrible results some people are having.

On Jun 30, 2012, SnookieJ from Bend, OR (Zone 5b) wrote:

I have quite a bit of this growing in my flower beds. On the positive note, it does grow anywhere...I have a lot of terrible dry soil under a Juniper tree and its great there. The bad part is its horrific if you get the sap on you. I knew the risks and still trimmed it back yesterday, paying special attention to not getting sap on me. I came in the house afterwards, and washed up very very good, on my arms and hands. About 2 hours later, my face felt on fire. I neglected to recall I had touched my face while working outside and now I feel like I have a bad sunburn. Hurts to touch. Woke up this morning and my face is really swollen in areas. Learned my lesson the hard way. Not sure if I should get rid of it completely..because it was at my own hand that I let it get to me. So ....just a war... read morening for you out there wanting one of these. Do not have if you have small kids. Its a toxic beauty.

On Aug 16, 2011, Ontarian wrote:

Here in Southern Ontario, Canada, I've come to expect this plant to be somewhat invasive, seeding itself easily, but for years have tolerated a few plants for their looks. Yesterday I pinched back the stems with bare hands on one plant with no problems. Today I did the same on another plant and even tho I washed the sap off my hands with soap and water as plain water didn't budge the gummy stuff, I must have gotten some in my eye. My eye has been burning for a couple hours now and my nose is running and also burning. I've rinsed my eye with cold water and used antihistamine drops with little relief. I hope I don't have to get further medical treatment. When this is over, the plants are all going to be pulled up and put in the garbage. This is no fun!

On Mar 20, 2011, mudhazerustsalt from Salt Lake City, UT wrote:

This plant is awful. Do not be tantalized by it's ease of growth and interesting look.

First, the infestation. Here in Utah, it takes over entire slopes and kills other plants. Last year I pulled enough to fill 30 lawn bags, turning my steep backyard into a naked pile of dirt. Finally this spring I see just a few natives starting to reclaim the ground they lost. I don't know anyone here who has easily controlled this plant in their yard.

Second, the sap. Even in states where it's easier to control, I have heard of very few gardeners who enjoy the rash. I had to go home sick from work once because the sap got on my hands and then somehow my face while I was weeding. If it gets in your eye, the infection can be critical.

My department of ag gave ... read moreme some control pointers. You can pull them (get at least 4" of root on mature plants) or use herbicide. Round-up worked very well for me. Either way, you have to vigilantly destroy new sprouts for a few years.The plant bursts its seeds each summer, spreading them as far as 14 feet around the parent.

On May 30, 2010, MachTurtle from Denver, CO wrote:

Absolutely **erradicate** this weed but think twice about doing it by hand. I'm going to use pesticide.

While trying to remove this noxious weed I must have gotten a small amount of sap on my forehead which sweat brought down to my eye.This is probably the 3rd most pain I have ever felt.

I had taken several precautions as I knew the plant's sap was quite venomous. Head covering, gloves, eyewear, etc.

I am glad I did not get more and prolonged exposure as my eyelid is on fire and to a lesser amount my outer eye. After an eyewash and drops the pain is really only minimally better. My cornea seems fine. I am not really swelling although my nose did begin to run a bit.

I will have to head into ER if this is going to persist.
... read more
We have a lot of this. IAs I understand from the neighbor, it was planted to save the back hill from erosion by the previous owner. It is a beautiful plant but treat it extreme care and do not allow it to grow. I can't imagine what would happen with a child, someone of lesser health or even more extreme exposure to me with this dangerous plant.

On Apr 6, 2010, tisabira from Muskogee, OK wrote:

I bought a small plant on Saturday and dropped it home before continuing my shopping. I know I touched the plant, although there wasn't any sap leaking from it. During my shopping, my left cheek started to itch and I later broke out into a small rash on that side. it seems I may have been fortunate to get away with so little!

I'm still new at growing things and I like to buy different plants to experiment with (ie, see if they can survive ME) so I'm going to see if the nursery will exchange this for something else.

Thanks for the info from other posters, very helpful.

On Oct 9, 2008, jenmomof3 from Bellingham, WA wrote:

WARNING: do not plant this plant and remove all from your yard. My kids were playing outside in our maturely landscaped yard. Playing make believe they picked this plant and used it for play. The next morning my son woke up, his eyes swollen almost shut, face swollen and completely red with exception to creases around his nose, large blisters on his chin, forehead and cheeks. We thought he was having an allergic reaction to a plant....it really was a severe contact dermatitis. Please see above posting for how to remove it and please do not plant it!! It is listed as a noxious weed.

On Jul 9, 2008, suewylan from North Fork, CA (Zone 7b) wrote:

I love this plant a lot less today.

It was always the first to bloom (in Feb!) and stayed very attractive and interesting all year round...BUT in the last 24 hours I had to go to emergency hospital TWICE, after clipping the flowers back.

After washing my hands of the sticky sap, I must have rubbed my eye and it immediately started to sting and burn and water profusely. By the afternoon I was in excrutiating pain In the emergency room, they numbed my eye and irrigated it, then sent me home with antibiotic drops.

The pain became worse after 8 hours, spreading to my other eye, nose and sinuses and, blinded, I was driven again to the hospital for pain relief, numbing drops and finally vicodin. They said my corneas were damaged and sent me to an o... read morepthamologist. He said the plant has corrosive chemicals in it and had burned my eyes and eyelids. My face where the first tears came down is all burned and peeling.

No wonder the deer don't eat it. I don't know if I'll get rid of this plant, but I'll definately wear a HAZ MAT suit when trimming it!

On May 12, 2007, PhilsFlowers from Ocean Park, Surrey, BC (Zone 6b) wrote:

A friend gave me a small E. myrsinites to plant in an area under a porch roof in complete shade to cover a low, poorly constructed concrete wall. It did this job amazingly well in spite of the fact it is not mat-forming. It flowers and probably does produce seeds but I have never seen one. We get gale-force winds here in the coastal area of southern B.C. so I frequently have to untangle its branches. I never knew that this was harmful to skin because I never suffered any ill-effects. If the wind did break or damage a stem, I just cut it back. I love the colour and the unusualness of this plant and was sorry to learn it was such a 'weed' elsewhere.

On Apr 23, 2007, Holmberg from Colorado Springs,
United States wrote:

This plant should not be available for sale in Colorado. It is a primary noxious weed.

On Nov 25, 2004, caron from Woodland Park, CO (Zone 4b) wrote:

Colorado Class A Noxious Weed. Mandatory eradication.
All locations of this plant in Colorado should be immediately reported to the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

On May 21, 2004, jennifergo from Fort Collins, CO wrote:

I am a Weed Specialist in Colorado and this plant is a disaster. It is now one of the top proiroties on the State of Colorado Noxious Weed List for eradication. It is highly toxic, invasive, and illegal. Please don't market this plant to folks in the western US!

On Apr 4, 2004, henryr10 from Cincinnati, OH (Zone 6b) wrote:

We have it growing in partial shade in a very dry bed full of Maple roots and find it very well behaved.
In fact anything that can survive here would be welcome to be invasive.
After 3 years it has only spread about 1 foot w/o dead heading.

On Jun 3, 2003, skylittle wrote:

Previous comments have noted the toxcity. Note that we all may have different sensitivities. BE CAREFUL WITH THIS PLANT. I had a severe reaction after cutting some of the plants. I washed my hands immediately afterwards but then used a paper towel to dry my hands. Then I used the same towel to wipe the sweat from my face and forehead. My first symptoms (in about two hours) were burning lips and tongue (like I'd eaten a spicy meal). Within four hours the underside of my nose was painful to the touch. By the next morning my face was numb and swollen. Within the next day these facial areas began peeling like I had a bad sunburn. Reports in Colorado actually indicate that school kids have learned that they can get out of school by rubbing some of the plant's latex material on their fa... read morece! Some have ended up in emergency rooms and/or burn units.

On Jul 16, 2002, mandarin wrote:

I have seen this plant be extremely invasive. It completely overtook my neighbors garden and in such large numbers the plant is not very attractive. If you have the plant, work hard to contain it so this doesn't happen to you.