Euphorbia corollata

Common prairie species that bloom all summer, with milky sap. Leaves alternate below, whorled at the base of inflorescence, and mostly opposite in the inflorescence.

Easily grown from seed. Three white seeds develop in each capsule from June to November. The seeds dehisc when ripe and should be harvested before they are ripe and dried in paper bags. Germination is improved by stratification at 33-40 degrees F for 30 days (Shirley 1994, Steffer 1997). There are 160,000 seed/lb and the recommended planting rate is 10 lbs/acre.

The following information is for the genus Euphorbia including ground-spurges (Chamaesyce) and several other groups that some botanists recognize as distinct genera: Animals that eat its seeds: Ground dove, Mourning dove, Bobwhite quail, Gambel quail, Chestnut-bellied scaled quail, Painted bunting, Horned lark, American pipit, Chipping sparrow. Animals that eat the plant: Antelope (Martin et al. 1951) and white tailed deer.

Reported to prefer dry, sandy soils with a pH range of 6.5-7 (Shirley 1994). Found in wet mesic, mesic, dry mesic, and dry habitat throughout Louisiana and the east, southeast and north central parts of Texas. One of the most common prairie species in Louisiana coastal prairie remnants. Thought to be poisonous to livestock but toxicity is destroyed by drying.

Dry to xeric upland fire-maintained pine woodlands and calcareous coastal prairies.