Spotted Spurge

Overview

Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata) is a summer annual broadleaf weed that thrives in hot conditions. It is purely seed-propagated, making it an excellent target for pre-emergent herbicides. It exploits any bare or thin areas in the lawn, spreading rapidly during summer heat.

Identification

Low-growing, mat-forming plant with small oval leaves featuring a distinctive reddish-brown spot in the center. Stems are red and exude a milky white sap when broken. The plant grows flat against the ground, radiating outward from a shallow central taproot.

Damage to Your Lawn

Spotted spurge forms dense, ground-hugging mats in any bare or thin area of the lawn. It spreads rapidly in summer heat — a single plant can cover 1-2 square feet in just weeks. It is an opportunist that exploits bare soil exposed by thin grass, drought stress, or scalping from mowing too low.

Control Strategy

Prevention with spring pre-emergent is highly effective because spurge reproduces only by seed. Prodiamine or dithiopyr applied at standard spring timing stops spurge along with crabgrass.

For emerged plants, a 3-way broadleaf herbicide works well. SpeedZone provides faster visual burndown. Spot-spray individual plants rather than broadcasting.

Manual control is easy for isolated plants — the shallow taproot pulls out readily when plants are small. Pull before seed set in July-August. Wear gloves if the milky sap irritates your skin.