Prostrate spurge is an annual herb in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) with prostrate to ascending stems with ovate or oblong leaves. It is native to the Central and Southern United States and Tropical and Subtropical America. It is weedy and can be found in disturbed areas along the side of the road, waste areas, railroads, and even sidewalk cracks. It can also be found in lawns and gardens. The epithet, prostrata , means "lying on the ground" and references the weed's habit. The plant prefers full sun to partial shade in dry, sandy or gravelly soils. Seedlings are very small but will flower when young. This plant is a prolific seeder. Seeds have limited or no dormancy and germinate quickly. Prostrate spurge has slender prostrate to decumbent stems that measure 4 to 12 inches long. The leaves are green to purplish, simple, oblong or oval, and less than 0.5 inches long with finely toothed margins. The flowers are white to pinkish, tiny, cup-shaped with white petal-like structures surrounding the actual flowers. The fruit is a greenish to pinkish capsule This weed is found in native gardens or meadows and lawns. Quick ID Hints: Leaves and stems have white curled or crinkled hairs. Stems are red colored. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Prostrate spurge has no serious insect or disease problems. Some people experience skin rashes from contact with the toxic sticky plant sap of euphorbias. Management for Spurges : Because spurges flower when young and have little or no seed dormancy, weed populations can increase rapidly. Remove plants when young to reduce seed production. They are time-consuming to hand weed due to the number of seedlings that form. Some species may forcefully discharge seeds. Spurges are well-managed by most pre-emergence herbicides labeled for use. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti," a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Euphorbia .
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
Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 1 in. - 0 ft. 4 in. | Width: 0 ft. 1 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Prostrate
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate; Serrate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are small, 0.25 to 0.5 inches long and half as wide, oblong or oval, and green to purplish. They are sparsely covered with white, curled or crinkled hairs. Often the leaves contain a purplish-red color around the edge. Leaves exude a milky sap when broken.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers are very small and are nearly indistinct. Plants flower in summer and early fall from June to September, then die after frost. Flowers are white to pinkish and appear in round clusters. They are cup-shaped and surrounded by white petal-like structures. The flower size in less than 1/16-inch in diameter.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Green; Pink
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Extending out from the flower center is a 3-parted capsule with long spreading hairs on a short stalk with each part containing 1 seed. The capsule initially hangs down becoming erect at maturity. The capsule size is 2 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. The seeds are light brown with a white covering that can be easily removed. They also have tiny pits on the surface with several transverse ridges.
Stem color
Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Stems are up to 12 inches long, typically prostrate, reddish colored, sparsely to densely covered in curled or crinkled hairs, and branching frequently, forming large circular mats. Stems exude a milky sap when broken.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Central and Southern U.S.A., Tropical to Subtropical America
Distribution
Native: United States--AL, AZ, AR, CO, FL, GA, KS, LA, MS, MO, NE, NM, NC, OK, SC, SD, and TX; Argentin, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Uzbekistan, Venezuela. Introduced: Europe, parts of Africa, parts of Asia, and parts of Australia, United States--CA, HI, IL, IN, IA, KY, MD, MA, MI, OH, PA, TN, UT, VA, WV, and WY.
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Uses (ethnobotany)
Extracts from the plant are used in India as a treatment for hemorrhoids.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Naturalized Area
Garden tags
#summer annual weed #heat tolerant #weed control #milky sap #sap #summer flowers #small flowers #hairy leaves #annual #problem for children #problem for dogs #problem for cats #hairy stems #weedy #contact dermatitis
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs; Weedy
Particularly resistant to
Dry soils, heat tolerant.
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves; Sap/Juice; 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.