Plant Problem Diagnostic
How to Control Spotted Spurge
The short answer
Spotted spurge is a summer annual that spreads only by seed, so the best control is to prevent germination with mulch and to remove plants as soon as you see them, before they set seed. Pull or scrape young plants and re-mulch bare soil.
Wear gloves: the broken stems ooze a milky sap that can irritate skin. A dense mulch layer in beds, and healthy dense turf in lawns, blocks the light spurge seed needs to sprout, which is far more effective than chasing established mats.
How to identify it
Spotted spurge is a low, prostrate broadleaf with small oval leaves arranged opposite along the stem, usually with a reddish spot in the center of each leaf. Broken stems release a milky sap. Mats can spread wide across the ground from a central taproot.
- Prostrate mats hugging the ground
- Small opposite oval leaves, often with a red spot
- Milky sap when stems are broken
- Summer annual, spreads by seed
⚠ The milky sap can cause skin irritation or a rash. Wear protective gloves when handling spotted spurge.
Cultural and physical control
- 1Mulch to prevent germination — Apply mulch in beds to block the light spurge seed needs to sprout; this is the most effective preventive step.
- 2Pull or scrape early — Remove plants as soon as noticed, pulling or scraping them out before they flower and set seed. Wear gloves for the sap.
- 3Keep turf dense — In lawns, dense healthy turf shades the soil and discourages spurge seedlings.
When to escalate
Where mulching is not possible and spurge returns heavily each year, pre- or post-emergence chemical options exist. For chemical options consult your county Extension and always follow the label.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension — Spotted Spurge — Spotted spurge is a summer annual spreading by seed with milky sap that can irritate skin; best controlled by mulching to prevent germination and removing plants early (wearing gloves).
- University of Maryland Extension — Prostrate Spurge — Prostrate/spotted spurge has opposite oval leaves with a reddish spot, a taproot, and spreads low; control by pulling and mulching.