euphorbia heliscopia (sun spurge)?

[clothpuss]

I am new to the forum as I am in desperate need of info on a plant I have discovered taking over my garden an exact match can be viewed at:

Google Image Result for http://lh3.ggpht.com/_rWksMjEBTQk/Sa1MnN9loUI/AAAAAAAAKOY/GREBGX7ONfE/s800/leo-mic-Euphorbia-lathyris-887.jpg

I ahev searched for it again and it would appear it has vanished from google under the title in the thread but this is a match (please copy and paste into browser if link doesn't work) is is poisonous and if so how do I get rid of it? I have young children who eat every thing!

[davidbr]

The plant in your link is Caper Spurge, Euphorbia lathyris, not the Sun Spurge in the thread title. They're very different-looking spurges; E. helioscopa is a common weed of almost any bare ground, E. lathryis a European native that I usually see as a casual of disturbed ground.

Caper Spurge can be quite invasive (I've seen a garden-sized patch of waste ground completely covered by it ) and at up to 4ft tall it's one of the more spectacular members of the family. If it's invading your garden, I wouldn't panic - the taste is extremely unpleasant and your children would be very sick long before they'd eaten enough to do themselves any harm. In any case, it's not life-threatening; the juice is a powerful purgative (makes you xexexexe through the eye of a needle, as my granny would have said ) which is probably what E. lathyris was introduced for in the first place.

If you want to get rid of it, the only way is to pull up the young plants or use something like a hoe to stop them getting established on bare ground. Or else grow something yourself on it - in my experience, Caper Spurge doesn't do well under competition

[clothpuss]

Thank you so much! I've been doing a little reading up but little was said about toxicity. The kids wil be delighted to be let back into the garden especially in this weather! I can see a long day ahead pulling them all out, it's all over the lawn Is it usual to find it in the far north east of england as I have never seen anything like it. Its my own fault, we bought a house that had a very over grown garden and as it was cleared new plants started to come through that hadn't seen the light of day for a long time along with them was 2 of these here caper spurges, they looked so unusual that I let them grow, more fool me!

It's good to have my mid put at rest, by all accounts it's an intersting plant, just don't want a garden full of it thank u very much x

[Jim Ford]

I tasted the milky sap of a spurge once, because the book said it was acrid and I wondered just how acrid. It was just a drop, but it spoilt the rest of my day!

Jim

[treecreeper]

I think we should applaud Jim's spirit of scientific adventure. One of my amphibian books describes how a victorian lady bit a great crested newt to discover the effects of its poison defences on humans. Most interesting results. Jim - if you still have the spirit of discovery after your spurge experience, I have read that the death cap Amanita phalloides has a sweet taste, but it would be nice to have that authoritatively verified by a WAB member

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

I think we should applaud Jim's spirit of scientific adventure. One of my amphibian books describes how a victorian lady bit a great crested newt to discover the effects of its poison defences on humans. Most interesting results. Jim - if you still have the spirit of discovery after your spurge experience, I have read that the death cap Amanita phalloides has a sweet taste, but it would be nice to have that authoritatively verified by a WAB member

I may well try it - just bite off a tiny bit and spit it out. I've tried deadly nightshade, which had a lightly sweet but insipid taste - a bit like elderberry.

What doesn't kill me will make me strong!

Jim

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

I tasted the milky sap of a spurge once, because the book said it was acrid and I wondered just how acrid. It was just a drop, but it spoilt the rest of my day!

Jim

I too tried once.... i found it very spicy >>> but then got worried when i found out it was poisonous

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

I think we should applaud Jim's spirit of scientific adventure. One of my amphibian books describes how a victorian lady bit a great crested newt to discover the effects of its poison defences on humans. Most interesting results. Jim - if you still have the spirit of discovery after your spurge experience, I have read that the death cap Amanita phalloides has a sweet taste, but it would be nice to have that authoritatively verified by a WAB member

Probably is... all i can say is several other "reportedly" poisonous Amanita had sweet tastes

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by clothpuss

Thank you so much! I've been doing a little reading up but little was said about toxicity. The kids wil be delighted to be let back into the garden especially in this weather! I can see a long day ahead pulling them all out, it's all over the lawn Is it usual to find it in the far north east of england as I have never seen anything like it. Its my own fault, we bought a house that had a very over grown garden and as it was cleared new plants started to come through that hadn't seen the light of day for a long time along with them was 2 of these here caper spurges, they looked so unusual that I let them grow, more fool me!

It's good to have my mid put at rest, by all accounts it's an intersting plant, just don't want a garden full of it thank u very much x

Clothpuss - make sure you cover up thoroughly when handling this plant - especially in strong sunlight. The sap has an intense photosensitising effect which can cause very unpleasant blistering on exposed skin !

CM