The warming summer days bring life to its peak in many local gardens and fields in Montana. Beautiful bitterroot, gorgeous glacier lily, and the ever so lovely lupine fill the landscape with stunning color. There is something amiss, however. Something is spreading rapidly, consuming fields, and taking valuable space away from our beloved native species.
Its clustered stems, expanding root system, milky white sap, narrow leaves, and bright green flowers encased in a yellow-green bract are characteristic of one of Montana’s most notorious noxious weeds, the leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula).
This species, like many other noxious weeds, is native to Eurasia. It was most likely brought to North America via contaminated ship ballasts; the earliest record of its presence in North America dates to 1827. This herbaceous perennial is a threatening weed that dominates pastures and roadsides. Its success lies in its ability to reproduce by seed and spread its root system, which makes hand pulling less efficient, due to the need to remove all of its deep roots.
