Perennial Spurges
What are they?
The spurges are a rather large group of plants in the family Euphorbiaceae. This is a rather variable group of plants that includes creeping, ground-hugging annuals, rather weedy species of open ground and a varied bunch of multi-stemmed perennials which typically have rather stiff, upright stems; this page covers this last group. The spurges mostly have green or yellowish-green flowers that are made up of an intriguing and highly distinctive cluster of parts. These parts typically include a female flower and a small cluster (perhaps 2-4) of male flowers. These flowers sit atop a small structure (technically called a cyathium) which also carries a ring of yellowish or reddish, often glistening, glands. The glands are more or less semi-circular in outline, but the outer tips of the semi-circles are often drawn out into a pair of narrow extensions like little cow horns. After pollination, the stalked, female ovary elongates and becomes enlarged as the seeds develop inside.
Where are they found?
The perennial species of spurges tend to be introduced species that are grown as garden ornamentals and, as such, they may be found in a variety of grassy places along roadsides and on abandoned or undeveloped ground. Native or long-established species can also be found in deciduous woodland or on beaches.
Identification
All species can be quickly identified as spurges by their milky snap, which is revealed by pulling off part of a leaf. A quick look at leaf shape is a good first step to narrow down the choices. After that, identification is largely based upon the flower structure and you should note the colour of the flowers (especially the glands) and the number and shape of the glands. After flowering, details of the fruit should be noted, especially whether the surface of the seed pod is smooth or bumpy and hairless or hairy.
Wood Spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides subspecies amydgaloides
Native. Found in deciduous woodland on heavier neutral and acid soils; uncommon and local in Norfolk but more frequent in Suffolk, southward into Essex. Flowers late March to May. Stems upright, often reddish in colour, to around 60cm in height. Leaves relatively large and broad, to 8cm long, distinctly hairy on the underside on first-year leaves. Flowers with yellow-green glands which have strongly curved horns. Seed capsules grooved and with dimpled surfaces.
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Turkish Wood Spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides subspecies robbiae
Introduced from Turkey. A popular garden plant for ground cover and often found as an escape from cultivation on roadsides, churchyards and grassy places. Flowers late March to May. Stems upright, often reddish in colour, to around 60cm in height. Leaves typically broader than those of our native Wood Spurge, to 8cm long, hairless on the underside on first-year leaves. Flowers with yellow-green glands which have strongly curved horns. Seed capsules grooved and with dimpled surfaces.
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Mediterranean Spurge Euphorbia characias
Introduced from southern Europe. A popular garden plant and occasionally found as an escape from cultivation on roadsides, churchyards and grassy places. Flowers late March to May. Stems upright, slightly fleshy, often reddish in colour, 60-150cm in height. Leaves linear, to 3-13cm long, blue-green in colour. Flowers with either yellow-green glands (subspecies wulfenii) or brown to reddish glands (subspecies characias). Seed capsules grooved, not warty densely hairy.
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Caper Spurge Euphorbia lathyris
Introduced from southern Europe. A popular garden plant that frequently turns up where self-seeded in urban areas, churchyards, roadsides and similar places. Flowers June to July. Stems stiffly upright, slightly fleshy, 40-200cm in height. Leaves with a distinct whit stripe down the midrib. Flowers surrounded by long, pointed bracts and the glands have rounded rather than pointed projections. Seed capsules smooth, three-parted with purple grooves between the segments.
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Balkan Spurge Euphorbia oblongata
Introduced from south-east Europe. Only a couple of records in the published flora atlases for our region but increasing quite rapidly in Norfolk at least and turning up on rough corners and untended places in urban environments. Flowers April to July. Stems hairy, upright to 90cm in height from creeping root systems, forming bushy clumps. Leaves and stems with an overall yellow-green look to them. Flower bracts bright yellow, leafy looking. Flower glands typically only 2-3 per flower (rather than four to five), bright yellow without pointed projections. Seed capsules hairless, covered in bumpy tubercles.
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Irish Spurge Euphorbia hyberna
Introduced from mainland Europe as a garden ornamental (though also native in South-west England and South-west Ireland). Recorded as introduced in North Essex in 2016. Flowers April to July. Stems hairless or nearly so, upright to 60cm in height forming bushy clumps. Flower bracts yellow-green, leafy looking. Flower glands 5 per flower (rather than four to five), bright yellow without pointed projections, becoming brown with age. Seed capsules hairless, covered in cylindrical tubercles.
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Cypress Spurge Euphorbia cyparissias
Introduced from mainland Europe. Long established and frequent on sandy soil in Breckland and occasionally found as a garden throw-out elsewhere. Flowers April to July. Stems to 30cm in height from creeping root systems, forming spreading patches. Leaves linear, small, being typically 1.5-4cm in length. Flower bracts bright yellow, rounded with pointed tips. Flower glands yellow with widely diverging, pointed projections. Seed capsules grooved, bumpy on the ridges.
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Twiggy Spurge Euphorbia x pseudovirgata
A hybrid, probably of garden origin. Long established at a couple of grassy roadside sites and occasionally appearing sporadically elsewhere. Flowers April to July. Stems to 80cm in height from creeping root systems, forming spreading patches. Leaves linear, 2.5-7cm in length without attenuated bases but narrowing rather abruptly into the stem. Flower bracts bright yellow, rounded with pointed tips. Flower glands yellow with relatively long, pointed projections. Seed capsules deeply grooved, granulate on the ridges.
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Leafy Spurge Euphorbia esula
Introduced as a garden plant from mainland Europe. Long established at a few grassy roadside sites in Breckland. Flowers May to August. Stems to 60cm in height from creeping root systems, forming spreading patches. Leaves slightly broader towards the tip, 2-6cm in length and 0.5-1.2cm in width. Flower bracts bright yellow, rounded with pointed tips. Flower glands yellow with short, pointed projections. Seed capsules grooved, granulate on the ridges.
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Upright Spurge Euphorbia stricta
Introduced as a garden plant in East Anglia, though thought by some to perhaps be native in western Britain. Rare; recorded from two places in Suffolk in the county atlas and recently found beside a footpath in Norfolk. Flowers June to August. A rather frail, annual or biennial species, growing to 80cm in height. Leaves lightly saw-toothed along the margins, 1-6cm in length. Flower bracts bright yellow, broadly rounded with pointed tips. Flower glands yellow, rounded and without projections. Seed capsules covered in tubular bumps called papillae.
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Sea Spurge Euphorbia paralias
Native. Shingle and sandy beaches, mostly in West Norfolk and from Great Yarmouth southward. Flowers July to September. Stems upright, slightly fleshy, to around 60cm in height and forming tight clusters. Leaves slightly fleshy and blue-green in colour. Flowers with green bracts and yellow-green glands which have only slightly elongated corners. Seed capsules three-sided and with dimpled surfaces.
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Broad-leaved Glaucous Spurge Euphorbia myrsinites
Introduced from southern Europe as a garden ornamental and amenity plant and occasionally surviving where garden waste is dumped. Flowers April to May. Stems trailing but becoming more upright when flowers are present. Leaves thick and rather fleshy, glaucous and strongly overlapping.
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Honey Spurge Euphorbia mellifera
Introduced from Madeira and the Canary Islands and grown as a garden ornamental. May occasionally be found bordering amenity areas or in churchyards. Flowers April to May. A large species, growing to 2m in height with leaves to 16cm in length. Flowers rich reddish-brown in colour. Leaves with white hairs along their basal margins, at least when young.
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