Cypress spurge is a small herbaceous plant that grows quite often on poor meadows and even rocks in Central Europe. Special breeds are also popular in the garden. However, caution is advised: cypress spurge is poisonous! A personal description.

Cypress spurge is used as a medicinal plant

Cypress Spurge - A Wanted Poster

  • Botanical name: Euphorbia cyparissias
  • Common names: dullwort, milkweed, wartwort
  • Family: Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae)
  • Plant type: herbaceous plant
  • Occurrence: Europe, Asia
  • Species: about 2,000
  • Location: nutrient-poor grassland, sheep pastures, rocks
  • Annual or perennial: perennial
  • Height: 15 - 50 cm
  • Leaves: green, very narrow, 1 - 3 cm long, up to 3 mm wide
  • Flower colour: initially yellow, later red
  • Flowering period: May to September
  • Deciduous/wintergreen: mostly deciduous, occasionally wintergreen
  • Propagation: mainly by runners
  • Hardiness: hardy
  • Toxicity: milky sap highly toxic

Important for insects

The nectar of the spurge cypress is readily ingested by insects, especially bees. The plant serves as the main food source for the spurge hawkmoth caterpillars.

The cypress spurge is a so-called migratory plant that spreads mainly via foothills. Locations where cypress spurge can grow unhindered are becoming increasingly rare. Therefore, the spurge hawk moth is threatened with extinction.

Cypress Spurge is poisonous

Cypress spurge is considered a medicinal plant, although it is classified as moderately to highly toxic. The sap that escapes when the plant is damaged is particularly toxic. It contains skin-irritating substances that can cause dermatitis on hands. If the juice gets into the eye, it can lead to blindness in the worst case.

Gloves should therefore always be worn when picking and caring for spurge cypresses. If plant sap accidentally gets into the eye, rinse it out as soon as possible and consult an ophthalmologist

The seeds of the cypress spurge also contain toxic substances and can cause severe poisoning. As a medicinal plant, cypress spurge is only used externally, and only with caution because of the poisonous plant sap.

Be careful with grazing animals

Cypress spurge is highly poisonous to grazing animals, but is usually avoided because of the taste.

Unlike other willow weeds such as hot ranunculus, the poison does not decompose by drying. Hay containing the spurge plant should not be fed.

tips

The cypress spurge is a relative of the poinsettia, which is not very popular because of the inconspicuous flowers, but because of the bright red leaves. It also secretes white, poisonous milky sap.

Category:

Vegetable garden