North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia (spurge)

Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata)
Durham Co., NC
2 May 2006

Common in forested habitats in the mountains and piedmont of NC, this plant has milky sap.

Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata)
Durham Co., NC
2 May 2006

Wild Poinsettia, Fire-on-the-mountain, Painted Leaf (Euphorbia cyathophora) Wild Poinsettia, Fire-on-the-mountain, Painted Leaf (Euphorbia cyathophora)
Disturbed sandy soils in New Hanover Co., NC
3 Oct 2008

Uncommon in the eastern half of NC in sandy disturbed soils, it's easy to see that this is a relative of the Christmas Poinsettia.

Wild Poinsettia, Fire-on-the-mountain, Painted Leaf (Euphorbia cyathophora) Wild Poinsettia, Fire-on-the-mountain, Painted Leaf (Euphorbia cyathophora)
Disturbed sandy soils in New Hanover Co., NC
3 Oct 2008

Flowers and developing fruits.

Wild Poinsettia, Fire-on-the-mountain, Painted Leaf (Euphorbia cyathophora) Wild Poinsettia, Fire-on-the-mountain, Painted Leaf (Euphorbia cyathophora)
Disturbed sandy soils in New Hanover Co., NC
3 Oct 2008


Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias)
Roadside in Alexander Co., NC
3 July 2009

Introduced from Europe, Cypress Spurge is common in weedy places in the western half of North Carolina.

Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias)
Roadside in Alexander Co., NC
3 July 2009


Carolina Ipecac (Euphorbia ipecacuanhae) Carolina Ipecac (Euphorbia ipecacuanhae)
Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Moore Co., NC
12 Apr 2008

Common in the NC sandhills in sandy soils, especially after fires.

Carolina Ipecac (Euphorbia ipecacuanhae) Carolina Ipecac (Euphorbia ipecacuanhae)
Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, Moore Co., NC
12 Apr 2008

As the name implies Carolina Ipecac has been used medicinally as an emetic among other things.


Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.


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Created on June 28, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com