Euphorbia corollata
A native North American perennial in the spurge family with upright stems and white-bracted blooms, it tolerates drought and poor soils, is well suited for edges, sidewalks, and medians across much of Eastern North America, and attracts butterflies and other pollinators.
Common Names
Flowering Spurge, Wild Spurge, Tramp's Spurge, Baby's Breath of the Prairie
Summary
Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) is an erect perennial in the Euphorbiaceae native to a broad region of eastern and central North America from Ontario to Massachusetts west to Minnesota and south to Florida and Texas, thriving in prairies, open woods, glades, savannas, fields, roadsides, and disturbed sites, it grows from a deep rootstock to about 0.6–1 m tall with slender green stems and leaves arranged alternately or in whorls near the inflorescence. The inflorescence is a panicle of many small flowers, each surrounded by five white petal-like bracts atop the stems, producing a showy display; a milky latex sap is present and can irritate skin and eyes. Bloom time spans May to October, and the plant attracts pollinators while seeds feed birds. In cultivation, it prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soils, tolerating dry to mesic conditions and poorer soils; a deep taproot makes transplantation difficult. Propagation is by seed (unstratified in fall or stratified in spring), division, or root cuttings. All parts are poisonous if ingested, and the milky sap can irritate skin and eyes; gloves are advised when handling. It is drought-tolerant once established and useful in borders, groundcovers, prairie gardens, and meadow plantings, offering nectar for pollinators and seeds for birds, while being deer- and rabbit-resistant.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
2-3 feet
Spread
24-36 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Sun or Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained, dry soil.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
Tolerates all pH levels
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Green to bluish-green
Fall Foliage Color
Pinkish-red to scarlet
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Slow
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings (root cuttings), Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. 1: 459. 1753 [1 May 1753]
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Malpighiales
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
- Genus
- Euphorbia
Synonyms
Galarhoeus corollatus Tithymalopsis joorii Euphorbia corollata var. glauca Euphorbia corollata var. molle Tithymalopsis arundelana Tithymalopsis corollata Tithymalopsis olivacea Agaloma arundelana Agaloma corollata Agaloma joorii Agaloma marylandica Agaloma olivacea Euphorbia arundelana Euphorbia corollata var. hirsuta Euphorbia corollata var. joorii Euphorbia corollata var. subpetiolata Euphorbia discolor Euphorbia marilandica Euphorbia olivacea Euphorbia corollata var. corollata Tithymalopsis corollata Euphorbia corollata var. grandiflora Euphorbia corollata var. viridiflora