Spotted Spurge
Broadleaf weed
Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata) is a low-growing summer annual broadleaf weed found across most of the United States. Gardeners and growers notice it because a single plant can spread into a wide, flat mat almost overnight and produce thousands of seeds in one season. When any part of the plant is broken, it oozes a milky white sap that helps set it apart from many look-alikes.
How to identify it
Spotted spurge grows flat against the ground in a spreading, mat-forming habit rather than upright. The small oval leaves grow in pairs along pinkish to reddish stems, and most leaves carry a distinctive reddish or purplish blotch near the center. Broken stems and leaves release a milky white sap. The flowers are tiny and inconspicuous, tucked where the leaves meet the stem, and the plant is anchored by a single slender taproot. A mature plant can spread a foot or more across while staying very close to the soil surface.
Where it grows
It thrives in lawns, vegetable and flower gardens, nursery containers, cropland, and any disturbed or compacted ground, including sidewalk cracks and driveway edges. Seeds germinate once soils warm in late spring and early summer, and the plant grows fastest through the hot months. Spotted spurge reproduces entirely by seed, and because a single plant sets so many seeds, it can build up quickly in the soil seed bank and return year after year.
Why it is a problem
Spotted spurge competes with turf, crops, and ornamentals for water, nutrients, and space, and its dense mats can smother thin lawns and young seedlings. Its ability to produce large numbers of seeds means a small patch can become a widespread problem in one or two seasons. The milky sap can irritate skin and eyes in sensitive people, and it is considered mildly toxic if eaten, which is worth keeping in mind around pets and grazing animals.
How to manage it
The most effective approach is prevention and hand removal, especially pulling plants while they are young and before they set seed, since removing them early keeps seeds out of the soil. Take out the whole taproot, and be aware the sap can irritate skin, so wearing gloves is a good idea. A layer of mulch in gardens and beds blocks light and greatly reduces germination, while a thick, healthy, well-watered lawn mowed at the proper height shades the soil and crowds spurge out. Reducing bare, compacted ground and repairing thin turf removes the open, sunny spots this weed needs to establish.
Commonly confused with
It is commonly confused with prostrate knotweed and common purslane, but purslane has thick, fleshy succulent leaves and neither of those plants produces the milky white sap that spotted spurge does.
General guidance for US lawns and gardens, focused on prevention and non-chemical control. For a confirmed identification and options specific to your area, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.