It’s time to purge the noxious myrtle spurge

My Santa Fe neighborhood it being taken over by a noxious weed called myrtle spurge. It is an “escaped ornamental” originally from Southern Europe and Central Asia. It was brought to the U.S. because it is drought resistant and grows well in rock gardens and poor soil characteristic of the Western states. In 2018, myrtle spurge was A-listed as a noxious weed in California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington, making it is against the law to grow it. New Mexico should join them.

Myrtle spurge is aggressive and spreads easily through thousands of seeds that can spread 15 feet from the original plant. It outcompetes native plants by taking up their available water supply, plus it releases toxins into the soil that can prevent other plants from growing near it.

Most importantly it is poisonous. It exudes a toxic, milky latex which can cause severe skin and eye irritations. It causes itching, burning, blistering and in some cases blindness if the substance gets into the eyes.

This is why it is important to wear gloves, long sleeves, shoes and eye protection when removing spurge. Do not burn or compost the plants when removed.

It is toxic to cows and horses also, so must be removed before it gets into grazing areas. Don’t let your children pick it for a bouquet.

The plants are best removed between February and April before they seed out. They have a long tap root which must be dug out at least up to 4 inches. I cannot stress enough the importance of ridding our neighborhoods of the noxious weed before it gets into our native habitats.

Purge the spurge, people.