Spotted Spurge (Note: Not a true grass, but a common prostrate broadleaf weed found in turfgrass)
Euphorbia maculata · Warm-season, Annual broadleaf weed, C4
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Invasive/Weed Grass (Broadleaf Weed in Turf)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 2-11
Grass Family
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Variety / Cultivar
Wild type
About This Grass
Forms dense, flat mats up to two feet across. Stems are reddish, hairy, and exude a milky white sap when broken. Leaves are small, opposite, oblong, and often feature a characteristic dark red spot in the center.
Blade Characteristics
Not a grass; has true leaves which are oval to oblong, opposite, finely toothed near the tip, typically less than 1 cm long, often with a purplish-red spot in the middle.
Root System
Taproot system with shallow fibrous roots branching from the nodes when stems touch moist soil.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to North America, widely distributed throughout temperate and tropical regions globally.
Growth Habit
Prostrate, mat-forming annual weed with stems spreading radially flat along the ground.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Thrives in full sun and hot, dry conditions; highly drought-tolerant once established, often invading thin, stressed turf.
Mowing & Maintenance
Grows too low to the ground to be effectively controlled by mowing alone. Managed via pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides or hand-pulling.
Special Characteristics
Exceptional heat and drought tolerance, produces thousands of seeds per plant, milky sap can irritate skin, highly competitive in thin lawns.
Ecological Information
Weedy annual species that colonizes disturbed soils, pathways, and thin turf areas; seeds provide food for some ground-feeding birds.