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Jesse Saylor
Euphorbiaceae
CHAMAESYCE maculata
Matted Sandmat, Prostrate Spurge
Practically every gardener has come across this warm-season, summer weed. Prostrate spurge forms nearly flat, spreading mats of small, deep green or green and burgundy-blotched leaves that can be found in sunny beds and pavement crevices across the whole of the United States, southern Canada and northern Mexico. It is an annual weed that produces loads and loads of seeds, so it's essential to pull plants as soon as they pop up in the garden.
Dense, spreading mats of small, oval leaves supported by fine, branched, reddish stems hug the ground like cloth. Sometimes the leaves have a burgundy blotch at the center. The plants are grounded by slender taproots, and the stems emit white, milky sap when broken. By mid to late summer, hundreds of tiny, inconspicuous, ivory flowers appear along the stems below the leaves. These are followed by tiny brownish fruits filled with lots and lots of tiny seeds by fall.
Prostrate spurge is a true warm season weed that thrives in spots with full sun and well-drained soil with poor to good fertility. This is an easy weed to pull by hand or hoe up. The key is removing it from the garden before it gets a chance to flower and set seed. Mulch is also an effective means for keeping it from germinating and growing.
12 - 1
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Annual
Full Sun, Partial Sun
1"-2" / 2.5cm - 5.1cm
6"-15" / 15.2cm - 38.1cm
Summer
United States, Mexico
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Well Drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Very Fast
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Mat-forming
Insignificant
Ivory
Green, Dark Green, Sandy Brown, Burgundy
Spotted/Mottled
No
Single
Yes
Fine
Matte
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