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Euphorbia serpyllifolia

Euphorbia serpyllifolia
Photo: JerryFriedman, CC BY-SA 3.0

Euphorbia serpyllifolia is a small annual spurge, native to much of North America, that grows as a flat mat or a slightly upright herb in disturbed open ground. It is a weed-like wild plant rather than a commonly grown garden species.

Family
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Grows as
Annual
Light
Full sun
Water
Water only when the soil is dry, as it is a drought-tolerant weed of open ground.
Soil
Poor to ordinary, well-drained soil; it tolerates sandy and disturbed ground.
Temperature
Tolerates a wide range of temperatures; it is an annual that completes its life cycle in one season.
How easy
Easy
Edible
Yes, some parts

About

Euphorbia serpyllifolia (Euphorbia serpillifolia) is a species of euphorb known by the common names thymeleaf sandmat or thyme-leafed spurge. It is native to a large part of North America from Canada to Mexico, where it is a common member of the flora in many types of habitat. This is an annual herb growing as a prostrate mat or taking a somewhat erect form. The oblong leaves are up to about 1.5 centimeters long, sometimes hairy and finely toothed along the edges. The tiny inflorescence is a cyathium about a millimeter wide. It bears scalloped white petal-like appendages arranged around the actual flowers. At the center are several male flowers and one female flower, which develops into a lobed, oval fruit up to 2 millimeters wide. This plant has a number of traditional medicinal uses for many Native American groups.

Uses

The Zuni people use it as a cathartic, an emetic, and to increase the flow of milk in a breastfeeding mother. The leaves are used to sweeten corn meal and chewed for the pleasant taste.

Other Euphorbia plants

Abd Al Kuri Euphorbia · Desert Candle · Greek Spiny Spurge · Euphorbia actinoclada · Miniature Saguaro · Pincushion Euphorbia · Euphorbia alcicornis · Euphorbia alfredii · Euphorbia ambarivatoensis · Euphorbia ambovombensis · African candelabra · Euphorbia ampliphylla

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Euphorbia serpyllifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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