We have recently published ‘Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions’: i.e. tropical and sub-tropical regions. We rely on regular donations to keep our free database going and help fund development of this and another book we are planning on food forest plants for Mediterranean climates. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Euphorbia esula - L

Common Name Leafy Spurge. Green spurge
Family Euphorbiaceae
USDA hardiness 3-9
Known Hazards The sap contains a latex which is toxic on ingestion and highly irritant externally, causing photosensitive skin reactions and severe inflammation, especially on contact with eyes or open cuts. The toxicity can remain high even in dried plant material[200]. Prolonged and regular contact with the sap is inadvisable because of its carcinogenic nature[214].
Habitats Found on prairies, savannas, mountain meadows, and near woodlands. It grows in fields and waste places.
Range Eurasia. Native to central and southern Europe, and eastward through most of Asia north of the Himalaya to Korea and eastern Siberia. Currently found worldwide with the exception of Australia and New Zealand.
Edibility Rating    (0 of 5)
Other Uses    (4 of 5)
Weed Potential Yes
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Euphorbia esula Leafy Spurge. Green spurge


edibleplants.org
Euphorbia esula Leafy Spurge. Green spurge
H. Zell on Wikimedia.org

 

Translate this page:

Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Euphorbia esula is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.4 m (1ft 4in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Esula angustifolia Haw. Euphorbia gmelinii Steudel. Euphorbia intercedens Podp. ex Harrington. Euphorbia poderae Croizat. Euphorbia pseudovirgata (Schur) Soó. Euphorbia x pseudovirgata (Schur) Soó. Euphorbia zhigulienis Prokh. Galarhoeus esula (L.) Rydb. Tithymalus esula (L.) Hill.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

None Known

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None Known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Tropical Plants

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Temperate Plants

Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

More
PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital media.
More Books

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital formats. Browse the shop for more information.

Shop Now

Other Uses

Euphorbia esula has nutrient value similar to alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.) and provides nutritious forage for sheep and goats. Potential as a whole-plant biomass as a locally grown fuel crop for home-heating purposes (Maxwell et al., 1985). A high protein feed stock for grazing sheep and goats (Fox et al., 1991; Sedivec et al., 1995). The high protein diet result in very high quality mohair in angora goats (Stoneberg, 1989). High in hydrocarbon latex - possibly a good col-hardy hydrocarbon species. Leafy spurge hay burns with 4x the energy of wheat straw [1-1]. Dynamic accumulator.

Special Uses

Carbon Farming  Dynamic accumulator

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Experimental Crop  Management: Hay

Climate: boreal to subtropical. Humidity: arid to humid. Prefers areas of full sunlight and dry soil but can tolerate a variety of habitats including temperatures as low as -45C (-49F). A deep-rooted perennial plant. Roots grow twice as fast in sandy soil as in clay soil. Roots in clay soil have greater branching than those in sandy soil. High levels of soil nitrogen can reduce the biomass of leafy spurge roots and lead to greater root concentrations near the top of the soil profile (U.S. Forest Service). Especially aggressive in semi-arid situations. Adapted to a wide range of conditions, from moist to dry with annual rainfalls as low as 180mm (7"). It grows as clusters with upright stems, 0.3 to 1m tall. Cultivation: experimental. Management: hay (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation) [1-1].

Carbon Farming

  • Experimental Crop  Plant breeders are testing these plants to see if they could be domesticated for cultivation, but they are still in an experimental phase. Examples include milkweed and leafy spurge.
  • Management: Hay  Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

Shop Now

Plant Propagation

It can grow from seed or from creeping roots. Reproduces readily like by seeds that have a high germination rate and may remain viable in the soil for at least eight years.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Hungarian spurge; wolf's milk, Euphorbe esule, Esels- Wolfsmilch; Scharfe Wolfsmilch, Heksenmelk, Vargtoerel, Faitours-grass, Green spurge, Leafy spurge

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation (Dagestan), Russian Federation-Western Siberia (Western Siberia), Russian Federation (Buryatia, Altay, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Russian Federation (Amur), China, Korea TROPICAL ASIA: Pakistan (north) EUROPE: Finland, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation (European part), Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Ukraine (incl. Krym), Former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Spain, France (incl. Corsica), Portugal AFRICA: Portugal (Azores)

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

A highly competitive plant. Once established, it tends to displace native grasses, forbs and most other vegetation in pastures, rangelands and natural areas. Invades natural areas and suppresses other vegetation. Its roots reach down 12 feet or more, and once established it is very difficult to control. It spreads both underground and by seed. Its cultivation is prohibited in ten US states and is declared a noxious weed in twelve others. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has placed this species on its list of 100 of the world's worst invasive species.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Acalypha australisAsian copperleafAnnual0.5 0-0  LMHSNM01 
Alchornea castaneifoliaIporuruTree8.0 10-12 FLMHSNMWe042
Alchornea cordifoliaChristmas BushShrub8.0 10-12 MLMHNDMWe243
Aleurites cordataJapan Wood-Oil TreeTree7.0 9-11  LMSNM002
Aleurites fordiiTung Tree, Tung Oil Tree, Wood Oil Tree ChinaTree7.0 8-10 FLMSNM133
Aleurites moluccanusCandle Nut, Country WalnutTree20.0 10-12 FLMHNDM334
Caryodendron orinocenseTaccy Nut, Nuez de BarinasTree25.0 10-12 FLMHNM312
Chrozophora tinctoriaDyer's Croton, GiradolPerennial0.0 0-0  LMHSNM102
Cnidoscolus aconitifoliusTree Spinach, Tread Softly, Cabbage Star, ChayaShrub5.0 9-11 FLMHSNM433
Cnidoscolus elasticusHighland chilteShrub1.0 9-11 FLMHNDM004
Croton lechleriSangre De Grado, Dragon's bloodTree12.0 10-12 FLMHNM041
Croton megalocarpusCroton treeTree25.0 10-12 FLMNM024
Croton palanostigmaSangre De Grado, Dragon's bloodTree12.0 10-12 FLMNM042
Croton salutarisSangre De Grado, Dragon's bloodTree12.0 10-12 FLMNM040
Croton tigliumCroton Oil Plant. Croton, Purging croton.Tree7.0 10-12 MLMHNDM032
Euphorbia abyssinicaCandelabra SpurgeTree7.5 10-12 MLMSND023
Euphorbia antisyphiliticaCandelillaShrub1.0 7-10  LMNDM204
Euphorbia corollataWild Spurge, Flowering spurgePerennial1.0 4-8  LMSNDM022
Euphorbia drummondiiCaustic WeedAnnual0.2 -  LMNDM01 
Euphorbia helioscopiaMadwoman's MilkAnnual0.4 -  LMNDM12 
Euphorbia hirtaAsthma Weed, Pill-Bearing SpurgeAnnual0.3 -  LMNDM13 
Euphorbia humifusa Annual0.2 -  LMNDM12 
Euphorbia intisyIntisy, Pencil PlantShrub5.0 10-12 FLMSND003
Euphorbia ipecacuanhaeAmerican Ipec 0.0 -  LMHSNM01 
Euphorbia lacteaMottled SpurgeShrub5.0 10-11 MLMHSNDM004
Euphorbia lathyrisCaper Spurge, MoleplantAnnual/Biennial1.0 5-9  LMHSNDM123
Euphorbia marginataMountain Snow, Ghost Spurge, Ghost WeedAnnual0.6 4-8 FLMNDM113
Euphorbia neriifoliaFleshy spurge, Hedge Euphorbia, Oleander spurgeShrub4.0 10-12 FLMSND222
Euphorbia pekinensisDa JiPerennial0.6 -  LMNDM03 
123

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

L

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Euphorbia esula  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.