Petty Spurge Plant Care

Petty Spurge (Euphorbia peplus) belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family within the Euphorbia genus. Petty Spurge is native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. Petty Spurge is also known as Radical Weed, Wolf's Milk.

Petty Spurge displays a varies by species, can be upright, sprawling, or clumping growth habit, reaching up to 3 ft tall with a spread of approximately 2 ft. Petty Spurge produces small, often inconspicuous flowers surrounded by colorful bracts.

Leaf size: approximately 4 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Petty Spurge every 14–21 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established shrubs mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Petty Spurge thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Euphorbia peplus tolerates temperatures of 60–85°F. Petty Spurge prefers humidity levels of 40–60%.

Well-draining sandy soil mix with perlite and gravel. Good drainage is essential for Petty Spurge to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Petty Spurge every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established shrubs in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining sandy soil mix with perlite and gravel. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Petty Spurge is suited to USDA Zone 8a – 11b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped shrubs in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Petty Spurge can spread to about 2 ft (0.6 m) and reach about 3 ft (1 m) tall. Space plants about 2 ft (0.6 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the plant spacing calculator.

Prune Petty Spurge while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the shrub in one year.

Petty Spurge is hardy down to USDA zone 8a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown shrubs need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Petty Spurge can be propagated through stem cuttings, offsets, seeds. Similar propagation techniques also apply to crown of thorns plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Petty Spurge is susceptible to mealybugs, spider mites, aphids. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Petty Spurge grows outdoors in USDA Zone 8a – 11b. It survives winters down to planting zone 8a. Petty Spurge is native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia.