Cypress Spurge

Description:

Euphorbia cyparissias, the Cypress Spurge, is a plant in the genus Euphorbia, which is native to Europe and was introduced to North America in the 1860s as an ornamental plant. It is sometimes called "Graveyard weed" as it is often seen in country graveyards. In its natural setting, Cypress Spurge thrives in dunes, pannes, coastal headlands and grasslands; in North America it is commonly found in the dry, gravelly soil of roadsides, pastures, and meadows. Cypress Spurge thrives in open, disturbed areas rather than forests or highly cultivated soil. It reproduces by seeds and also by the very well developed underground roots. It usually has a height of 10–80 cm (6-12 inches). Its petal-like bracts are usually green-yellow, maturing to purple or red from May to August. Cypress Spurge grows a fruit that, when mature, explodes to spread seeds up to 16 feet (4.9 m). However the plant also reproduces through lateral root buds which allows it to spread quick and densely. It can be easily identified by its leaves, which are small and linear (they have a length of 2–4 cm and a width of 1–2 mm)