Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
8CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY
Genus host records with ranges including KY · Euphorbia
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
- Eudryas unioPearly Wood-Nymph
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Hypercompe scriboniaGiant Leopard Moth, Great Leopard Moth
- Lobocleta plemyrariaStraight-Lined Wave
- Pygarctia spragueiSprague's Pygarctia Moth
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
14BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Euphorbia
- Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
- Anthus spragueiiSprague's Pipit
- Calcarius pictusSmith's Longspur
- Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
- Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
- Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
- Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow
- Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow
Show all 14
- Spizella breweriBrewer's Sparrow
- Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
- Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken
- Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 4a–8b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to alkaline
- Flower color
- Yellow, green or red
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Flower color · “Yellow, green or red” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Hardiness · “Zones 4a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “9 inches–1 foot” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “1–1.5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Cypress Spurge; Graveyard Spurge
Conservation status
| Kentucky rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| KY status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Native alternatives
Find natives for your gardenSources
- tnky_atlas
- usda
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications