Euphorbia terracina (carnation spurge)

Euphorbia terracina

Photo courtesy Joseph DiTomaso

Euphorbia terracina (carnation spurge) is a perennial or biennial (family Euphorbiaceae) found on California’s south coast. Carnation spurge forms dense patches in disturbed grasslands, coastal bluffs, dunes, salt marshes, riparian areas and oak woodlands. Although carnation spurge was recently introduced to California and is not yet widely distributed, it has the potential to spread rapidly. Like many other members of the spurge family, it is reported to produce toxic sap, and has allelopathic properties that reduce germination of native plants.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Moderate - Alert

Cal-IPC Resources on Euphorbia terracina

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Assessment Form (pdf) - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. Each issue is available as a pdf. . List of articles on Euphorbia terracina.
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium. List of articles on Euphorbia terracina.
• Don't Plant a Pest! - Select your region to find non-invasive alternatives to ornamental species. Also see our statewide brochure on trees.

Cal-IPC News Articles

• Brigham, C. (2005). High school students take on carnation spurge. Cal-IPC News. 13: 6.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• Avina, E., A. Dorsey, et al. (2009). Experimental test of different treatments for control of terracina spurge (Euphorbia terracina): Comparison of hand pulling, glyphosate, and chlorsulfuron. Cal-IPC Symposium 2009. Visalia, CA, Cal-IPC.
• Dickerson, E., C. Brigham, et al. (2004). Ecohelpers: Education and ecological restoration in Southern California. California Invasive Plant Council Symposium 2004. Ventura, CA.

Other Resources on Euphorbia terracina

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• The Nature Conservancy Management Summary - Information compiled by TNC land managers. Photos included for some species.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.

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