Pronunciation: yoo-FOR-bee-uh vir-GAH-tuh
Yellow-green bracts brighten the tops of upright stems with narrow, alternate leaves. This introduced perennial spreads through deep roots and seed, forming colonies in open grasslands and roadsides.
The showy yellow-green parts are bracts, rather than petals.
Family Euphorbiaceae · spurge family
Genus Euphorbia
Habit Colony-forming perennial
Height Commonly 2–3 feet, sometimes taller
Bloom Late spring through summer
Flowers Tiny, surrounded by yellow-green bracts
Leaves Narrow, alternate and smooth-edged
Habitat Prairies, roadsides and other open ground
Observation maps show reported sightings; they do not define the complete native range.
Bracts: broad yellow-green pairs surround the tiny flower structures, with a branching, umbrella-like cluster at the stem tip.
Leaves: narrow and smooth-edged, attached alternately along the stem. Leaves are often bluish green and have pointed tips.
Stems: smooth and upright, branching above. The milky sap can irritate skin; examine and photograph plants without breaking them.
Look along grassy roadsides, open fields, prairies and savannas. Leafy Spurge tolerates dry to moist sites and can form extensive patches. The bright bracts develop in late spring and remain conspicuous during the flowering season.
Native to Europe and Asia and introduced in North America. In Wisconsin, it can displace native vegetation in open habitats.
About the name: many older references call this plant Euphorbia esula. Modern regional treatments use Euphorbia virgata for the widespread invasive Leafy Spurge.
Euphorbia cyparissias
Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) has similar yellow-green bracts but is generally shorter, with much finer, more crowded leaves that give the foliage a feathery appearance.
Leafy Spurge has longer, broader leaves and a more robust, upright form. Compare the foliage as well as the flower clusters.
The tiny flowers are grouped in cup-like structures called cyathia. Surrounding bracts supply most of the bright color. Three-lobed capsules develop after flowering, with one seed in each compartment.
Dry capsules burst to scatter seeds. Deep roots also produce new shoots, allowing a patch to expand and regrow after stems are removed. This combination helps Leafy Spurge persist in grasslands.
Explore more species in the guide, then practice recognizing wildflowers in the quiz.
