Weeds of Container Nurseries in the United States

This species is a small, branched, upright plant with pale green foliage and stems, resembling leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) but smaller in stature and not spreading by underground runners. Plants produce distinctive bracts (modified leaves) below the small flowers. Flowers are small and pale green in color. Petty spurge is widely distributed in North America but is a relatively new introduction to the nursery industry and currently restricted to nurseries in the southern US. No specific data are available on seed dormancy and germination but plants are prolific seed producers, and emerge from early spring though mid-autumn in the southeastern US. No herbicide efficacy data are available but anecdotal evidence from other countries suggests it is controlled by most broad-spectrum nursery herbicides.