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THE
SCOURGE OF SPURGE
By Jo Noble
Lovely to look
at, caustic to hold, plant just a little --- and there goes the
neighborhood.
It's spring
again and, unfortunately, one of the signs that is becoming more prominent
around Pine Brook is the donkey-tail spurge plant. This perennial was
introduced from Europe as an
ornamental
 plant and has shown great adaptability in our forested area. So
what's the problem? Donkey-tail spurge is easy to grow. It does well in
disturbed soils, on sandy slopes and rocky areas. It does so well that it
can establish itself in pavement, foundations, and sidewalks. But it has no
self-control and quickly escapes into the grasslands where it chokes out
native grasses and flowers. If you follow the food chain, it's pretty easy
to see what happens. Deer and other wild mammals won't eat it. It has no
natural insect, disease or animal enemies. It attracts only a limited number
of insects and perhaps butterflies. We then lose some of our bird and mammal
populations, including Abert squirrels, who depend on a diverse diet
including roots, fruits, seeds and the ponderosa pine tree.
The sap of the
donkey-tail spurge is milky white. It is also very alkaline and can produce
serious blisters if gotten on the skin. There have been reported incidents
of blindness to people who have inadvertently gotten it into their eyes. It
is not yet listed as a noxious weed (which has legal consequences for the
property owner); but the rumor is that is soon will be. If you have
donkey-tail spurge on your land, you might want to think how you will
protect other people's property from becoming invaded. It can be pulled, but
use protective clothing of gloves, long-sleeved shirt, and sunglasses or
other eye protection. If you have questions concerning the plant, please
call The Colorado Weed Management Association at 970-229-0352, or Cindy
Owsley with Boulder County Open Space at 303-678-6110.
Jo
Noble is a volunteer naturalist with Boulder County Open Space.
From The Pine
Brook Press, Spring, 2000
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