#donkey tail

More plant photos taken on my Kodak 🌱🪴

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 13 December 2023

Seeming to flow down a slope in this cacti house was Sedum morganianum (burro's tail, donkey tail). This evergreen succulent has trailing stems growing 30cm or longer. The fleshy, glaucous blue-green leaves are sometimes joined by clusters of small, starry reddish purple flowers.

Euphorbia myrsinites (donkey tail, myrtle spurge, blue spurge)

Handle with Care

I've always called this plant a donkey tail but it's probably better known as myrtle spurge. Euphorbia is a big genus with over 2000 species but I'm afraid that donkey tail is 'the bad boy of the family'. It's native to Italy, the Balkans and Turkey but it's considered a noxious weed in Utah, Oregon and Colorado. According to the Salt Lake County Weed Control Program, "Small infestations can be controlled through multiple years of digging up at least 4" of the root. Myrtle spurge is best controlled in the spring when the soil is moist and prior to seed production. Make sure to dispose of all the plant parts in the garbage instead of composting." Goggles and rubber gloves are strongly advised.

Why all this heavy security? All Euphorbias produce a poisonous sap which burns the skin and can cause blindness if it gets in your eyes. If you eat the leaves, you get vomiting and severe diarrhea. This milky sap is a very good defense against any type of herbivore. Donkey tail in particular is extremely toxic to: humans, cattle, sheep, pets etc. etc. Rabbits and deer won't go near it. It has no known North American insect pests. Not surprisingly, it should never be planted next to a playground.