How to Get Rid of Spurge Weed

Hand-weeding, solarization, and pre-emergent herbicides are three methods for getting rid of spurge weeds invading your lawn and garden. 

Creeping spurge, prostrate spurge, and spotted spurge are the most common in residential landscapes. They grow in dense mats close to the ground and spread fast, crowding turf and garden beds. Once established, it’s hard to control them. 

This article explains how to get rid of spurge weeds before they take over your yard and how to prevent new infestations.

How to eliminate sprouted spurge

Once spurge weeds sprout, it’s a race against the clock for homeowners. You aim to remove or kill spurge plants as young as possible and prevent them from seeding. Here’s how you can stay on top of them:

Scout for spurges as soon as it warms up

Spurges, also known as sand mats, are fast-growing, fast-spreading weeds. The best spurge control method is to remove them as soon as they sprout. Regularly scout for young spurge plants as soon as the temperatures reach 75 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s when most spurge weed types start growing.

How to identify spurge weed

The most common spurge types to infest lawns, gardens, and residential landscapes are:

• Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata)
• Creeping spurge (Euphorbia serpens) 
• Prostrate spurge (Euphorbia humistrata), also known as ground spurge weed

All three are summer annual weeds with a low-growing habit and similar appearance. Here’s what these spurge weeds look like:

• Spurge seedlings look like small rosettes of oval leaves growing on a reddish stem. 
• Grown plants look like dense, lacy networks spread in wheel-like patches close to the soil.
• Spotted spurge and prostrate spurge leaves have a maroon-reddish spot in the middle. 
• All the spurge weed stems come from a central stem tap root. Creeping and prostrate spurges root from stem nodes where touching the ground.
• If you break a stem, a milky white sap will appear. Don’t touch it with bare hands — spurge sap irritates the eyes and skin. It’s also poisonous to animals.
• These crawling spurge weeds produce tiny, white to pinkish flowers in summer.

Other types of spurge you might find in your garden:

• Leafy spurge (Euphorbia virgata) – A perennial, upright variety on the noxious weed list. It spreads by runners, grows up to 3 feet tall, and has greenish flowers.
• Petty spurge (Euphorbia peplus) – It’s similar to leafy spurge but smaller (up to 1 foot tall) and not spread by runners.
• Hyssop spurge (Euphorbia hyssopifolia) – It’s an upright annual, growing up to 18 inches tall, with reddish, yellow, or green stems.
• Nodding spurge (Euphorbia nutans) – Similar to hyssop spurge, but with larger leaves.
• Sun spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia) – A prostrate annual variety. Its leaves have finely toothed margins.
• Cypress spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) – A semi-woody perennial that grows in small, dense clumps. It has linear leaves and bright yellow flowers that turn purple-red when mature.

Where to look for spurge weed in your yard

Spurge weed loves the heat and sunlight and thrives where poor soil conditions keep other plants weak and thin. Look for it:

• Near stone and concrete. Spurge weed loves to set foot in tiny cracks in the pavement, along the sides of walkways, and driveways. These places perfectly fit its poor, compacted, and dry soil preferences.
• In the sunniest areas of your lawn. Spurge weed loves the sun and will climb over groundcovers, turf, and other plants to reach it.
• On uncovered walkways in your yard where heavy traffic keeps the soil compacted and partially bare.
• Bare spots in flower beds and garden beds.
• Bare or thin patches in turf. 

Walk around your lawn every other week and scout for spurge weeds in the grass. It’s essential to spot and remove them before they seed.

Hand-weed every two weeks

Hand-weeding works best on young plants with poorly developed roots. Mature spurge weed grows deep tap roots that are difficult to extract. The plant often breaks from the stem, leaving part of the crown behind that regrows into a new plant. 

How to hand-pull spurge weeds for the best results:

• Remove spurge plants as soon as you spot them.
• Wear gloves. All the spurge varieties have a white, milky sap that pours from broken stems and branches. This sap is irritating to the eyes and sensitive skin.
• Use a garden trowel or a dandelion fork to dig the soil around the plant and loosen the roots’ grip. You’ll have more success when the soil is moist.
• Or, cut the plant with a hoe under the soil level to take part of the root.

Hand-weed every two to four weeks. Garden spurge is a fast grower, and new plants germinate from seed all through the warm season.

Pro tip: After you pull out the plant, apply a homemade weed killer such as vinegar or boiling water. This will damage any stems or pieces of the crown left behind.

This method works in infested garden spots where you can dig, like removing spurge in turfgrass or from flower beds. However, it’s harder to use on driveways, sidewalks, or walkways where spurge grows in tiny cracks. In this case, applying commercial or homemade herbicides is the best choice.

Use a post-emergent herbicide during the growing season

If you live in the South and enjoy mild winters and warm springs, you might see spurge weed growing from February to September. Up North, it has a shorter growing season. 

What is the best spurge weed killer? Spurges are broadleaf weeds, and most varieties are annual plants. This means they can be controlled with contact herbicides such as diquat (Reward) or Glufosinate (Finale) and selective systemic herbicides such as: 

• 2,4D (Super Trimec)
• Dicamba (Escalade)
• Triclopyr (Cool Power)

Contact herbicides are most effective on spurge seedlings. More mature spurge plants require multiple applications. 

Always soak the plant thoroughly to ensure the best coverage of leaves and stems. Our guide, How and When to Apply Post-Emergent Herbicides, explains more about herbicide application.

Using a non-selective systemic herbicide, like glyphosate (Roundup), is easier on driveways and sidewalks. Glyphosate (Roundup) is also better for perennial varieties such as leafy spurge. Remember that glyphosate is a non-selective weed killer that kills all plants. It can easily damage turf, flowers, trees, and other desirable plants it comes in contact with.

Note: Some herbicides should not be applied during heat waves. Always read the instructions before using a herbicide to ensure you apply it safely and correctly. Keep pets and children away from the application area for at least 24 hours. Wear protective equipment.

How to keep spurge seeds from germination

Spurge spreads seeds until late summer to early fall, and many remain dormant in the soil and germinate the next spring. The best type of spurge weed control is to prevent the weed seeds from sprouting in the first place. Here are three you can use.

1. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide in late winter.

A pre-emergent weed killer prevents the spurge seeds from growing healthy sprouts, and it’s applied before germination.

Plan the herbicide application in late winter when soil temperatures reach 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Garden spurges germinate best between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, but they can sprout at lower temperatures if the soil has enough moisture. When germinating early, plants stay small until the weather warms up. 

Use this tool to find out the soil temperature in your area.

Recommended pre-emergent herbicides include:

• Pendimethalin (Pendulum)
• Trifluralin (Treflan, Preen)
• Dithiopyr (Dimension)

You’ll need to repeat the treatment through summer and fall. Spurge weed flowers and seeds the entire warm season.

Pro tip: Try an eco-friendly weed killer such as corn gluten meal to keep the yard clean of chemicals. Read Lawn Love’s article “Does Corn Gluten Meal Work on Weeds?” for details on using it as a pre-emergent herbicide and the expected results.

2. Kill spurge seeds with solarization.

Solarization involves covering the soil with plastic sheets and using sunlight to increase soil temperature to deadly levels for seeds, weeds, and bugs. It is similar to air warming up in a greenhouse and can raise ground temperatures to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Solarization kills spurge seeds and seedlings in the soil, and it’s often used before planting. It works for flower beds, vegetable beds, and lawns when preparing the area before reseeding the lawn. 

According to the University of California, solarization can effectively kill spurge weeds and their seeds when day temperatures are over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. You need to keep the plastic sheet on for four to eight weeks. Read our guide “What is Soil Solarization and How to Do It” for more details and tips.

3. Stop spurge seeds from sprouting with mulch.

Spurge seeds need sunlight to sprout. Tilling the soil can bring the seeds to the surface and trigger germination, while a thick layer of mulch can prevent sprouting by keeping seeds in the dark. 

“Organic mulches, such as shredded bark, compost or straw at least 2″ thick, will eliminate the light needed for spotted spurge seed germination, although this will need periodic replacement,” says Sarah Muhr from the University of Wisconsin Madison. 

Sheet mulching – covering the soil with a layer of cardboard and then dirt – also can limit seed germination in garden beds. Read our guide, “What is Sheet Mulching?” for more details.

Consider using inorganic mulch on paths in the garden that are not covered with pavement.

How to prevent spurge infestations

Start by limiting the risk of spreading:

• Limit traffic in infested areas until you get rid of spurge. Otherwise, you’ll get seeds on your clothes and shoes and spread them around. 
• After each use, clean the lawn care equipment (lawn mower, rake, etc.).
• Don’t plant seedlings from a container where you’ve spotted a spurge plant.
• Bag grass clippings when mowed in an infested lawn. They can spread weed seeds. 

Continue by keeping a thick, healthy turf.

“Spotted spurge is only a problem in thin lawns, so the best means of preventing it from becoming a problem is to maintain a thick, healthy turf through proper mowing, fertilization and irrigation.” says Mahr.

Learn to keep a weed-free lawn with good maintenance practices from our detailed guides on lawn care:

• Lawn Mowing Tips – How to Mow Your Lawn
• The definitive guide to watering your lawn
• Fertilizer 101: How to Fertilize Your Lawn

Remember to core aerate annually to keep the soil loose. Do a soil test at least once every other year and use soil amendments to improve the ground. Your grass needs the right pH and fertile soil to keep weeds at bay.

FAQ about spurge weed

Does spurge die in winter?

The invasive low-growing types of spurge (creeping spurge, spotted spurge, prostrate spurge) are all summer annuals and die in the winter with the first frost. Leafy spurge is a perennial and returns with the spring.

Is spurge poisonous?

Yes, spurge is poisonous to humans and animals. Consuming fruits, seeds, or other plant parts can cause convulsions, pupil constriction, fluid buildup in the lungs, and mouth burning. Contact with the milky sap can lead to rashes and blistering. 

Can vinegar kill spurge?

Vinegar can kill annual spurges if applied correctly to young plants. However, mature plants are harder to kill and require multiple applications. 

It’s time to call the weed experts!

Don’t waste the summer hunting down spurge seedlings on your turf! With an extensive infestation, it’s a waste! Use the Lawn Love database to find a local weed expert and leave stubborn spurges to the pros. Put your feet up and enjoy the summer and a green, weed-free lawn!  

Main Image Credit: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0