Virginia Copperleaf is a summer annual weed in the spurge family, but unlike many members of the Euphorbiaceae family, its stems do not exude the milky sap of many other spurges. It is found in disturbed areas, meadows, fields, woodlands and shores of rivers or lakes. The genus name is Greek and refers to the nettle-like shape of the leaves. This native plant can be weedy, though not as aggressive as some in this genus. It will grow up to 2 feet tall and self-seeds. Birds eat the seeds aiding in further spread. Management includes hand weeding by pulling up the taproot and applying mulch. Prevention of seed production will help decrease the spread of the plant. Deer browse the leaves possibly leaving other plants alone. It is not recommended for home gardens and is best left to its native habitat. It does have some benefits for wildlife. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems More information on Acalypha .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Brown/Copper; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Rhomboidal
Leaf margin
Crenate; Serrate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are medium green and up to 3" long and 1" across. They are lanceolate and crenate with widely spaced blunt teeth to nearly smooth. The upper surfaces are sparsely canescent, sparsely covered with appressed hairs, or hairless. They grow closer together at the top of the stem giving it a flat-topped look. Young leaves are brown/copper.
Fall color
Brown/Copper
Flower color
Green
Flower form
Insignificant; Spike
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers grow from the hairy bracts in the leaf axil. Bracts are green, hairy, and palmately lobed (10-15 lobes) with hairs along their margins but no glands. Within each bract, a spike-like thyrse of staminate flowers develops. Spike is 3/4 inch long and individual flowers are less than 1/8 inch. 1-3 sessile pistillate flowers also form within the bract and are largely hidden from view. Each pistillate flower is about ¼" across.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
3-celled seed capsule with each cell of the capsule containing a single ovoid-oblong seed. Seeds are wind dispursed.
Bark color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The mostly unbranched erect stems are light to medium green, terete, and moderately covered with hairs
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central and Eastern U.S.A.
Distribution
USA: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV Canada: ON
Wildlife value
Birds eat the seeds and deer browse the leaves.
Attracts
Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#summer annual weed #warm season weed #native weed #deer browsing plant #drought tolerant #bird friendly #wind pollinated #NC native #FACU #food source hard mast fruit #wildlife friendly #weedy
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Weedy
Resistant to
Drought
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Sap/Juice
Poison symptoms
Ingesting sap or juice can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or dermatitis.