Who We Are

The Yampa River Leafy Spurge Project engages landowners, agencies, educators and organizations—working together to establish effective programs of integrated management for invasive leafy spurge.

What's the Problem with Leafy Spurge?

Leafy spurge (Euphorbia virgata) is an exotic perennial weed that is highly detrimental to native ecosystems. Originally from Eurasia, leafy spurge readily establishes in rangeland, pasture, and riparian habitats, and can quickly become dominant. It grows up to three feet high, with distinctive yellowish-green flowers. If bruised, the leaves and stems exude a toxic white sap that can damage eyes or skin. The plant is poisonous to cattle and most wildlife.

A Note on Taxonomy

The taxonomic (i.e., "scientific") identity of the invasive leafy spurge found throughout the American West has recently undergone some reevaluation. This plant has typically been known as Euphorbia esula in the past, but in recent years a reassessment of the plant and its potential Old World sources has suggested esula was a misidentification. Most of the publications referenced on the YRLSP website were published before this reassessment gained currency. Today a more generally accepted identification is Euphorbia virgata.

Watch Our Video

Note that the county weed manager contact information provided at the end of this video is now out of date. For up-to-date contact information, please visit our Contacts page.

Read Our Brochure
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Our Areas of Concern

HINT: Clicking on the following map will open a higher resolution PDF version, which can then be zoomed, printed, or downloaded. PDF map files posted to this website are designed to reveal excellent detail when zoomed to 400%.