(Steven Gathman, Pierce County Noxious Weed Control Superintendent) Considered one of the most serious perennial weed species, leafy spurge is threatening millions of acres of pasture and rangeland in the western United States. It is one of the most persistent and difficult to control perennial weeds yet encountered. The acreage infested with leafy spurge has increased at an alarming rate.
Leafy spurge plants are one to two feet high and the stems contain a milky white latex sap. This colorful plant has greenish yellow bracts that support the actual flowers. The seed pods break open at maturity, shooting seeds 15 feet or more from the parent plant. The root systems have numerous pink buds that produce new shoots, and pieces of root as short as one-half inch will give rise to new leafy spurge plants.
Achieving control on a large area of leafy spurge is costly and difficult.
It is advisable to control the small patches before they spread and become a more costly problem. Leafy spurge is an aggressive plant; therefore a programmed approach achieves best results. Plan a complete three to four year re-treatment program. Whenever an infestation has been controlled, inspect the area every spring and fall for several years to prevent re-infestation by seedlings. For more information about leafy spurge or help with identifying weed problems, contact Steven Gathman, Pierce county Weed Superintendent at phone number 402-329-6765 or email at [email protected].
