Euphorbia Species, Toothed Spurge, Green Poinsettia, Toothedleaf Poinsettia

I like this native plant, also known as Green Poinsettia. It is one that I did not have to work for, but grows freely in one of my nativ...Read Moree patches. The seeds are food for Mourning Doves and other birds, so I find no reason to remove it. My gardening goal is food! Not just for people, but also for the wild critters around me.

Unlike others' experiences, this has not become a "thug" or invasive. It does seem prone to a type of virus that puts red spots on their leaves, but it doesn't harm the plant. I think it adds a little character to the plant.

I don't see any positive value for this plant. It's a weed, though not that troublesome for me. It's said to be irritating (the milky s...Read Moreap) to the skin, and even has the potential to cause permanent blindness (Idaho Noxious Weed site), though I've not noticed it and I pull it out without any protection.

Unless there is an ornamental cultivar.... It's just a weed. It is a native plant in parts of the US (though not here).

One of the worst of the garden thugs. Been trying get rid of it for 45 years.

Native to USA
The flowers of spurges are occasionally visited by small bees, Syrphid flies, and wasps. The seeds are consumed by t...Read Morehe Mourning Dove, Greater Prairie Chicken, and to a lesser extent by the Bobwhite and Horned Lark. Because the milky latex in the stems and foliage is poisonous, this plant is rarely consumed by mammalian herbivores.

Sometimes this plant is referred to as Euphorbia dentata. Toothed Spurge is closely related to Euphorbia cyathophora (Wild Poinsettia), which also occurs in Illinois. This latter species has shiny leaves that turn red at the base near the inflorescence; it is the showier of the two plants.