Marsh Euphorbia Euphorbia palustris

Bog Spurge is an upright herbaceous perennial in the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family with chartreuse leaves and flowers that typically grows 2 - 3 feet tall (sometimes you'll find it taller).  It is native to marshland in Europe and western Asia.  Euphorbia is named after Euphorbus, a Greek physician who served King Juba of Numidia in 12BC.  Palustris means marsh-loving. 

Plant in full to partial sun in well-drained moist to wet soils but will adapt to a wide variety of soils.  It tolerates browsing by deer and rabbits and is tolerant of drought, wet and shallow-rocky soils.  Propagation is by seed or stem cutting.  Plants may show some stress in hot and humid summers.  As with all euphorbias, bog spurge exudes a milky sap from the stems and leaves that can be toxic.

Mass plant it in a border or let it naturalize in a cottage, woodland, or rain garden.  

Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Bog spurge has no serious insect or disease problems. Some people experience skin rashes from contact with the toxic sticky plant sap of euphorbias. Aphids, mealybugs, nematodes and spider mites may appear.

Management Guidelines for Spurges: Because spurges flower when young and have little or no seed dormancy, weed populations can increase rapidly. Remove plants when young to reduce seed production. They are time-consuming to hand weed due to the number of seedlings that form. Some species may forcefully discharge seeds. Spurges are well-controlled by most preemergence herbicides labeled for use.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti", a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

More information on Euphorbia.