Residents are advised to look out for leafy spurge noxious weed

Our Noxious Weed Department is advising residents to look out for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), a noxious weed that is native to Eurasia and has become widespread in North America. If you encounter leafy spurge, please report it to Mesa County Noxious Weed and Pest Management at weed.pest@mesacounty.us or call 970-255-7121. Mesa County Noxious Weed and Pest Management offers private property owners free management assistance with this noxious weed.

We must work together as a community to identify and treat the leafy spurge, as it can harm humans upon contact, reduce habitats for wildlife, spread rapidly, and cause economic loss in grazed pastures and hay production. Creeping perennials are extremely difficult to control without herbicides. The roots can extend up to 30 feet deep and 15 feet laterally.

This plant spreads aggressively through its deep, creeping roots and seeds. Leafy spurge contains a white, milky sap that can cause skin blistering, damage to eyes — and is allelopathic, meaning it releases chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants, making it difficult to control. 

Cattle generally avoid it; if forced to consume it, the milky sap containing ingenol, a toxic compound, can cause severe diarrhea, weakness, and even death. Sheep and goats can ingest without significant harm. 

It is currently limited to Plateau Creek and Mesa, found in rangelands, pastures, and adjacent to rivers or creeks, and it can thrive in a variety of environments and conditions. Our goal is to eradicate this species as its population is small in Mesa County and contained to these areas. 

Features of the leafy spurge:

• Bluish-green hue
• Small, narrow,  linear leaves alternate around the stem.
• Stems contain milky latex.
• Small yellow-green flowers enclosed by heart-shaped, yellowish-green bracts
• Flowers April through May
• Creeping perennial
• When seeds are developed, capsules explode and scatter seeds up to 15 feet away.
• One plant can produce up to 130,000 seeds and remain viable in the soil for 8-10 years.

Please report leafy spurge to Mesa County Noxious Weed and Pest Management at weed.pest@mesacounty.us or call 970-255-7121 with any questions regarding identification. Mesa County Noxious Weed and Pest Management offers private property owners free management assistance with this noxious weed.