Flowering Spurge

Flowering Spurge is a member of the Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) family. Like most members of the family, it has a milky sap (latex). The sap of many spurge family plants is caustic or a skin and eye irritant. The sap of flowering spurge is an irritant for many people although it has traditional medicinal uses. Many spurges use colorful bracts (modified leaves - think of the red ‘petals’ of a poinsettia) or flower appendages to attract pollinators and this species is no exception. The white ‘petals’ of the flower are actually tissue arising from a structure that holds the flowers (involucre). The flowers are very small.