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Baby's Breath of the Prairie

Euphorbia corollata (yoo-FOR-bee-ah kor-ol-LAY-tah)

Family: Euphorbiaceae Native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Flowering spurge is an upright herbaceous perennial that is slender, diffusely branched, and, has whorls of blue-green leaves and airy white flowers. It is native to southeast Canada and the central and eastern United States. It is a member of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It can be found as a wildflower in forests, natural areas at the edge of woods, or as a weed in disturbed areas along roadsides, waste places, and old fields. It can grow to a height of 2 to 3 feet and and equally as wide. The specific epithet, corollat a, is Latin and means "with a corolla" or small garland. Flowering spurge prefers full sun and dry conditions and tolerates almost any kind of soil, including loam, clay, sand, gravel, or rocky material as long as they are well-drained. Thriving in poor soil is an advantage for this plant because it reduces competition. It may be propagated by division, root cuttings, or seeds. The stems are bright green, erect, and up to 3 feet tall. The arrangement of the plant's leaves is distinctive, being alternate along the length of each stem, but changing to a whorl of three or more just beneath a flower. Flowering spurge is monoecious, meaning that male and female flowers are produced on the same plant. Flowers bloom from early summer to early autumn, with no fragrance. During the bloom, an entire plant may lean to one side because of the weight of its inflorescence. After bloom, the female flowers become capsules and contain the seeds. When the capsule matures, it will split open to eject their seeds. The root system consists of a taproot that becomes woody with age. Flowering spurge can be used as a groundcover for a border, cottage garden, or prairies and meadows. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. The sap of the flowering spurge is toxic and can cause skin and eye irritation. Wear eye protection and protective gloves when handling this plant. All parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested. Keep out of reach of small children and pets. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti," a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Euphorbia .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 69 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Fills a similar niche Phlox maculata Viola sororia Viola striata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Native Plant; Perennial; Poisonous; Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
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; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Clumping; Erect; Multi-stemmed; Spreading
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Opposite; Whorled
Leaf shape
Linear; Oblong
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Alternate leaves occur along the entire length of each stem, except at the apex underneath an inflorescence, where the uppermost leaves occur in a whorl of 3 or more. They are widely spreading to ascending. Individual leaves are up to 2½ inches long and ½ inch across; they are linear-oblong to oblong in shape and their margins are entire (toothless). The tips of these leaves are blunt, while their bases are sessile or nearly so. The upper and lower leaf surfaces are light bluish-green to medium green and glabrous (rarely the lower leaf surface is pubescent). Leaf venation is pinnate with prominent central veins. The foliage of this plant contains a toxic white latex.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Each mature stem terminates in a panicle of flowers up to 9 inches long and 12 inches across. This panicle is somewhat flat-headed and it has an open airy appearance. Individual flower clusters (called cyathia) span about ¼ inch across (including their petaloid bracts). Each cyathium functions like a complete flower and has the tiny unisexual flowers, 5 white petaloid bracts, and 5 green nectar glands at the bases of these bracts. Because flowering spurge is monoecious, separate male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers are produced on the same plant. Each male flower has several stamens, while each female flower has an ovary with a tripartite style. The petaloid bracts are obovate in shape; sometimes they are slightly notched at their tips. The branches and pedicels of the inflorescence are light green, glabrous, and terete; pairs of small leafy bracts up to ½ inch long occur at the bases of pedicels and where the branches divide. The blooming period occurs from early summer to early autumn, lasting about 1 to 2 months between June to September for a colony of plants. There is no floral fragrance.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
After blooming, the female flowers are replaced by 3-celled capsules of small seeds, globoid, and 3-lobed in shape; there is one seed for each cell of a capsule. At maturity, these capsules split open to eject their seeds. The seeds are ovoid-obovoid in shape, and finely mottled. Fruits appear between June and October.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Stems are unbranched, except at their apices, where the inflorescences occur. Each stem is light green, terete, glabrous, and sometimes glaucous (rarely it is pubescent).
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeast Canada to Central and Eastern U.S.A
Distribution
Native: United States--AL, AR, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA MD, MS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, and WI, Canada--Ontario. Introduced: Chad, United States--ME, MA, MI, MN, NH, SD, and VT
Wildlife value
Pollen and nectar attracts bees and other pollinators. Many types of birds eat the seeds such as bobwhite, quail, and mourning doves.
Attracts
Bees; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule

Edibility

Toxic if ingested.

Uses (ethnobotany)

Flowering spurge has been used as a laxative, but it is poisonous in large doses. Native Americans also used this plant to treat cancer, urinary tract infections, and as an ointment for wounds.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Native Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#poisonous #fall interest #NC native #spring interest #mammals #food source herbage #food source hard mast fruit #summer flowers #bird friendly #Audubon #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #white flowers #perennial #wildflower #rabbit resistant #contact dermatitis #poisonous if ingested #deer resistant #cottage garden #border #meadow #prairies
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Contact Dermatitis; Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs; Weedy
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Rabbits
Particularly resistant to
drought
Propagation
Division; Root Cutting; Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Flowers; Fruits; Leaves; Roots; Sap/Juice; Seeds; Stems
Poison symptoms
The milky white latex sap found in all plant parts can cause mild to severe contact dermatitis. If contact with the eyes occurs the sap can cause temporary to permanent damage to the cornea. If eaten, blistering can occur on lips and oral mucosa. Avoid ingesting plant parts and keep plants away from pets and children.
Toxic principle
Diterpene esters in milky latex
Contact dermatitis
Yes
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Flowers; Fruits; Leaves; Roots; Sap/Juice; Seeds; Stems; contact dermatitis

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

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