Cypress Spurge

Invasive:

Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) is often confused with Cypress Spurge, as it is a perennial which can grow up to 0.8 m tall with greenish-yellow flowers and leaves that are spirally arranged on the stem. Like Cypress Spurge, it contains a white milky latex that can be toxic to humans and livestock. Both spurges are invasive.

 

 

Cypress Spurge was brought to North America from Europe and Western Asia as a garden ornamental.

In North America, Cypress Spurge is commonly found in dry, gravelly roadsides, pastures, and meadows. It thrives in open, disturbed areas with stony, sandy, or dry soils. While it prefers direct sunlight, it is also tolerant of shade.

The best approach to controlling the spread of Cypress Spurge is PREVENTION.

 

Learn to identify Cypress Spurge: use the images presented in this profile page.

What to do if you spot it: You can report any Cypress Spurge sighting by clicking here.

DO:

• Regularly monitor properties for weed infestations.
• Ensure soil and gravel is uncontaminated before transport.
• Minimize soil disturbances (e.g. use grazing plans that prevent soil exposure from overgrazing), and use seed mixes with dense, early colonization (e.g. alfalfa or barley) to re-vegetate exposed soil and resist invasion.
• Minimize soil disturbance in the area surrounding an infestation.
• Ensure plants (particularly flowering heads or root fragments) are bagged or covered to prevent spread during transport to designated disposal sites (e.g. landfill).

 

DO NOT:

• DO NOT plant Cypress Spurge in a garden, no matter how well-contained its enclosure may seem.
• DO NOT move soil that has been contaminated with Cypress Spurge.
• DO NOT uUnload, park, or store equipment or vehicles in infested areas; remove plant material from any equipment, vehicles, or clothing used in such areas and wash equipment and vehicles at designated cleaning sites before leaving infested areas.
• DO NOT mow or weed-whack Cypress Spurge, as the fragments can propagate as new colonies. Frequent mowing may also accelerate shoot development, leading plants to spread laterally from the parent plant.
• DO NOT compost Cypress Spurge.

 

Control

Mechanical Control

• Hand-pull infestations when the soil is moist;  make sure you are wearing protective gloves and remove the entire root system.
• Mowing or tilling at regular intervals can adequately reduce weed progression at first bloom; however, this can stimulate new growth.
• If attempting to control Cypress Spurge mechanically, it is important to consistently mow the area (approx. every 21 days).

Chemical Control

• On small infestations, picloram or a combination of picloram and 2,4-D (applied before flowers emerge) has proven effective. However, note that picloram is not suitable for wet, coastal soils.
• Alternatively, annual applications of dicamba and 2,4-D, or monthly applications of glyphosate, have also shown success.
• We recommend that any herbicide application be carried out by a person holding a valid BC Pesticide Applicator Certificate. Before selecting and applying herbicides, you must review and follow herbicide labels and application rates; municipal, regional, provincial and federal laws and regulations; species-specific treatment recommendations, and site-specific goals and objectives.

Biological Control

Flea beetle (Aphthona cyparissiae and A. nigristucus); grazing by sheep and goats.