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Leafy Spurge 4H f Youtn ro Itbrri Pag Horticulture I Nataral Resources I IVUtdtlon Resources I Herne no. 3.107 Leafy Spurge by K.G. Beck 1 Quick Facts... • Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esu/a L.) is a creeping perennial that reproduces from seed and vegetative root buds. • It can reduce cattle carrying capacity of rangeland or pastures by 50 to 75 percent. • Leafy spurge is difficult to control. Its extensive root system has vast nutrient stores that let it recover from control attempts. . Combine control methods into a system to achieve best results. Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) is a creeping, herbaceous perennial weed of foreign origin that reproduces from seed and vegetative root buds. It can reduce rangeland cattle carrying capacity by 50 to 75 percent. About half of this loss is from decreased grass production. Cattle won't graze in dense leafy spurge stands and these areas area 100 percent loss to producers. A 1990 survey found 44,000 acres in Colorado infested with leafy spurge. In 2002, the Colorado Department of Agrigculture conducted a follow-up survey and found more than 73,800 infested acres of leafy spurge. Flgure 1: Number of acres in Colorado infested with leafy spurge, zooz. Leafy spurge is an erect plant that grows 1 to 3 feet tall. Leaves are bluish-green with smooth margins, 0.25 inch to 0.5 inch wide, and 1 inch to 4 inches long. Umbel flowers are surrounded by heart-shaped, showy, yellow-green bracts. (An umbel looks like the stays of an umbrella if it is held upside down.) Flowers occur in many clusters toward the top of the plant. Seeds are round to oblong, about 1/12 inch Tong, gray or mottled brown with a dark line on one side. Leafy spurge contains a white milky latex in all plant parts. Latex distinguishes leafy spurge from some other weeds (e.g., yellow toadflax), particularly when plants are in a http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/03107.html 6/20/2005