Leafy Spurge Information
Highly aggressive, deep-rooted perennial
One of the first plants to emerge in spring, head start on competition
Seedlings can emerge when temperatures are 33-44 degrees
Habitat:
*Prefers undisturbed, dry non-cropland
*Abandoned fields
*Range and pasture
*Woodlands and prairies
*Roadsides and wastelands
Flowers:
*Bright yellow blooms are actually leaf bracts
*Bracts appear in early May through July, possibly again in September
Seeds:
*Seed development continues 4-6 weeks after bract appearance
*Optimum temperature for germination is 86-88 degrees
*Germination rate is 60-80%
*Plants can produce up to 3,400lbs of seed per acre
*Seed dispersal occurs in August (dehiscent)
*Seeds are expelled up to 15 feet from plant
Roots:
*Root system consists of shallow and deep roots, some 16-18 feet deep
*Buds can arise anywhere along roots, sending up vertical shoots
*Crown and region of plant can produce roots and shoots
Shoots:
*Shoot growth occurs from crown and root buds
*Seedling shoots can develop buds 7-10 days after emergence
Growth and reproduction:
*Most aggressive growth occurs in semi-arid environments such as dry hillsides, dry prairies,
and rangeland
*Top growth can be killed, however regrowth can occur from root buds as deep as 12 feet
*Reproduction from rootstocks and seeds
Management:
*Mowing can increase the infestation by increasing competition
*Control must begin prior to establishment, or may not be possible
*Hand cutting 4" height repeatedly, can inhibit seed production
*Herbicides: dicamba, diflufenzopyr, glyphosate, picloram, 2,4-D ester
*Picloram in late spring, 70% control. Picloram + diflufenzopyr is best
Threats:
*Can decrease forage yield by as much as 100%
*Forms a monoculture, eliminating biodiversity
*Latex sap is dermally toxic