Skip to product information
1 of 1

Euphorbia corollata (Flowering Spurge)

Euphorbia corollata (Flowering Spurge)

1. Choose plants or seed

Select one type, then choose your size below.

2. Choose a size
Quantity
Regular price $ 88.00
Regular price Sale price $ 88.00
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Pre-order — Projected ready date:

Subject to confirmation.

Updated

Flowering spurge grows well on lean ground where taller plants have less advantage. Its summer flowering and tolerance of dry conditions suit an open, sunny position.

For Euphorbia corollata, choose full sun and mesic to dry soil. Recorded habitats include prairies on varied substrates; Rocky or sandy woodland openings; Savannas; Open wooded bluffs; Limestone glades; Stabilized dunes. Reported height: ½–3 ft.

Its below-ground structure is described as taproot. Choose the permanent location with that root structure and the mature size in mind. Planning the surrounding space at planting time reduces the need to reorganize an established bed later.

Plant specifications & ecological relationships

Key growing facts

Sunlight Full sun
Soil moisture Mesic to dry
Height ½–3 ft
Bloom season Early summer to early autumn

Native landscape companions

For full sun and dry-mesic soil, consider these native plants alongside Euphorbia corollata:

Companion plant Height
Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida) Up to 3 ft
Plains Oval Sedge (Carex brevior) Flowering stems 2½–3¼ ft long; often leaning
Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens) 1-3 ft
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) 2-3 ft

These landscape suggestions combine overlapping growing needs with documented plant associations. Match soil, seasonal wetness and mature spread to your site. Remnant records are described separately under Plant communities & associates.

Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
Growth habit One or more upright stems, branching mainly at the flowering tips
Root form Taproot
Soil pH Published cultivation guidance lists acidic, alkaline, neutral soil conditions; no optimal numeric interval is established.
Cultivation hardiness zones Zones 4a–8b (general cultivation guidance)
Drought tolerance Strong drought resistance reported
Deer browsing Deer resistance reported in cultivation guidance; browsing remains possible.
Plant toxicity Poison characteristics are reported; listed parts: flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, sap/juice, seeds, stems. Pet safety is not established.

Plant identification & seed reference

Botanical name Euphorbia corollata
Other common names flowering spurge; Baby's Breath of the Prairie; Eastern Flowering Spurge; Flowering Spurge; Garden Spurge; Poison Milkweed; Tramp's Spurge; White-flowered Milkweed; White Spurge; Wild Hippo; Wild Spurge
Plant family Euphorbiaceae

Plant characteristics

A great little white flower in any garden, but particularly where you may have rabbit or deer problems.  The latex in this plant's leaves is toxic so it will keep those rascally critters away.  A widely versatile plant that will work almost any soil type even poor gravely rocky and dry soils. Actually poor soils are preferred! A great prairie garden plant that is as showy as it is resilient and versatile.

  • Flower Color White
  • Flower Time June - August
  • Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates

    Documented Illinois communities

    Successional dry sand prairie — Schizachyrium/Poa

    Lost Mound — Jo Daviess County, Illinois; 2005 survey.

    Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Andropogon gerardii, Asclepias verticillata, Brickellia eupatorioides, Eragrostis spectabilis, Helianthus pauciflorus, Koeleria macrantha, Lespedeza capitata, Panicum virgatum, Rhus aromatica, Schizachyrium scoparium, Ambrosia psilostachya, Aster sericeus.

    Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.

    Mature dry sand prairie

    Big River Natural Area — Henderson County, Illinois; 2005 survey.

    Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Bouteloua hirsuta, Eragrostis spectabilis, Koeleria macrantha, Lespedeza capitata, Monarda punctata, Quercus velutina, Rhus aromatica, Rhus glabra, Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago nemoralis, Solidago speciosa, Ambrosia psilostachya.

    Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.

    Late-successional dry sand prairie

    Ayers Sand Prairie Nature Preserve — Carroll County, Illinois; 2004 survey.

    Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Asclepias verticillata, Aster ericoides, Eragrostis spectabilis, Koeleria macrantha, Lespedeza capitata, Liatris aspera, Panicum virgatum, Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago nemoralis, Viola pedata, Ambrosia psilostachya, Aristida tuberculosa.

    Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.

    Chicago-region plant communities

    Sand Ridge Savanna, Will County (2007–2009 study). Recorded in: wet-mesic sand prairie.

    Wet-mesic sand prairie — selected native associates: Carex pensylvanica, Sorghastrum nutans, Parthenium integrifolium.

    These records come from sampled communities within the preserve.

    Illinois plant communities

    Mesic black-soil prairie — central Illinois

    Recorded at Loda Cemetery Prairie (Iroquois County), Prospect Cemetery Prairie (Ford County), Weston Cemetery Prairie (McLean County). INHS identifies these sites as remnants of this community.

    Selected native plants from the same remnant records:

    These inventories include edges and disturbed patches. Shared remnant records do not establish that every plant grows together in one microsite.

    Illinois plant communities

    These regional accounts place this plant and the plants below in the same type of natural community. A community list does not mean that every species grew together in one plot. Use the habitat and location to understand the relationship; it is not a planting recipe.

    Green River community records

    Dry sand prairie: Lee County, Illinois (2006). Selected catalog plants recorded in this community: Amorpha canescens; Antennaria plantaginifolia; Asclepias verticillata; Coreopsis lanceolata; Koeleria macrantha; Lespedeza capitata.

    Dry-mesic sand prairie: Lee County, Illinois (2006). Selected catalog plants recorded in this community: Andropogon gerardii; Antennaria plantaginifolia; Asclepias verticillata; Lespedeza capitata; Liatris aspera; Parthenium integrifolium.

    The study site includes restoration plantings. Community records do not establish county-native origin or a seed-mix recipe.

    Other regional plant communities

    These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.

    North Eldred — hill prairie

    Native hill-prairie stand surveyed in 1949–1951. These dated records do not establish presence today.

    Other native plants recorded in this surveyed community: Amorpha canescens, Bouteloua curtipendula, Ceanothus americanus, Echinacea pallida, Liatris aspera, Liatris cylindracea, Lobelia spicata, Monarda fistulosa, Phlox pilosa, Physostegia virginiana.

    Evers 1955, Table 14. Selected associates from the same community; records do not show immediate neighbors or prescribe planting ratios.

    Valmeyer — hill prairie

    Native hill-prairie stand surveyed in 1949–1951. These dated records do not establish presence today.

    Other native plants recorded in this surveyed community: Amorpha canescens, Bouteloua curtipendula, Ceanothus americanus, Echinacea pallida, Heuchera richardsonii, Liatris aspera, Liatris cylindracea, Monarda bradburiana, Phlox pilosa, Pycnanthemum pilosum.

    Evers 1955, Table 14. Selected associates from the same community; records do not show immediate neighbors or prescribe planting ratios.

    Chautauqua — hill prairie

    Native hill-prairie stand surveyed in 1949–1951. These dated records do not establish presence today.

    Other native plants recorded in this surveyed community: Amorpha canescens, Bouteloua curtipendula, Camassia scilloides, Echinacea pallida, Heuchera richardsonii, Juncus dudleyi, Liatris cylindracea, Monarda fistulosa, Ruellia humilis, Silphium integrifolium.

    Evers 1955, Table 14. Selected associates from the same community; records do not show immediate neighbors or prescribe planting ratios.

    Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value

    State nativity describes a broad range. Use the Chicago-region assessment for local context; a state listing does not establish county nativity.

    Wetland indicator — Corps Chicago 2017 table UPL
    C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 4
    Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 Yes
    Native range — U.S. states Alabama; Arkansas; Connecticut; Delaware; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Mississippi; Missouri; Nebraska; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; West Virginia; Wisconsin
    County nativity Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity.
    Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife

    Caterpillars & other plant-feeding insects

    This plant has published caterpillar host records for the butterflies and moths listed below. These are larval feeding relationships, separate from adult nectar visits. The records span a North American literature compilation and do not establish that every insect occurs locally or uses only this plant.

    Moths

    • Pygarctia spraguei — Sprague's Pygarctia Moth
    • Theroa zethus
    Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions

    What are the ideal growing conditions for Flowering Spurge?
    Light: Full sun. Soil moisture: Mesic to dry.

    Is Flowering Spurge deer and herbivore resistant?
    Deer resistance reported in cultivation guidance; browsing remains possible. Even plants described as resistant may be browsed. Use physical protection where deer damage is a concern.

    When should I expect Flowering Spurge to bloom?
    Typical flowering period: Early summer to early autumn. Timing varies with location and weather.

    Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes

    Landscape companion selection: Natural Communities compared the growing requirements shown on these species pages with selected source records: Hill prairie — Illinois; Dry sand prairie — Green River Lowlands, northwestern Illinois; Blowing sand — Northwestern Illinois — Mississippi River sand deposits. The shortlist is a planting-design inference. A shared record does not establish adjacency, identical soil requirements, local seed origin, or a tested planting combination. Regional synthesis records retain their documented focal-to-associate scope.

    Will County community records: Phillippe, Marcum & Ebinger (2012), Sand Ridge Savanna vegetation, Tables 1–5. Selected species and habitat facts independently organized; no open license is asserted for the article. Sampled communities are kept separate from the preserve’s seeded field.

    Illinois communities & local records: INHS: Loda, Prospect and Weston prairie records; INHS: Illinois sand-area plant communities; Ebinger et al.: Green River communities (2009).

    Native range & ecological ratings: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), via Universal FQA; USACE Chicago FQA (2017); Kew WCVP / Plants of the World Online.

    Growing conditions & other references: Illinois Wildflowers, John Hilty; USDA Forest Service: Juniperus virginiana; USDA Forest Service: Rudbeckia hirta; USDA Forest Service: species review; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox.

    Wildlife records: Shropshire & Tallamy: caterpillar hosts (2025).

    Native range does not identify the origin of the seed or plants offered. Community and wildlife records apply to the locations and conditions described.

    Research notes & credits

    USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication.

    Range data: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 4 June 2026 release, accessed 7 September 2026. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data. This use has no Kew endorsement.

    Caterpillar host records: Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025), Lepidoptera of North America, Supplement 1. Contains information from this database made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Natural Communities selected species-level records and screened source qualifications. The complete selection and transformation instructions for this page are available below under the same license.

    Source: Phillippe, L.R., Molano-Flores, B., Murphy, M.J.C., Marcum, P.B. & Ebinger, J.E. (2011), Status of Endangered and Threatened Sand Area Species of the Illinois Flora, Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 39(4):259–296. © 2011 University of Illinois Board of Trustees; CC BY 4.0. Selected community facts regrouped and described by Natural Communities. Historical source names retained; no current legal conservation status is asserted.

    Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.

    Caterpillar research records

    Plant: Euphorbia corollata

    Record scope: Host literature synthesis; no county nativity or local insect occurrence inferred.

    Shropshire & Tallamy (2025) · Original research dataset · Reuse license: ODbL-1.0

    Plant names in the source Source insect record IDs
    Euphorbia corollata 210772, 212434

    How these records were selected

    To reproduce this selection, use the “UDELep May 2025” worksheet in the original research dataset.

    1. Match the insect record IDs above to column A (UDLepID). Within each table row, pair every listed insect ID with every listed source plant name.
    2. Use the first two words in column H for the insect’s scientific name, column E for its common name, and column AB for its source category.
    3. Treat the selected pairs as reported caterpillar host records. Keep all other source fields unchanged and outside this selected table. Include no other rows or host pairs.
    4. Group butterflies and skippers together, and the other categories as moths. Retain the source’s exotic-category labels and sort display names by scientific insect name.

    Survey communities: Ebinger et al. (2006), Tables 1–12, Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin. CC BY 4.0; adapted as dated presence lists, with the source’s non-native records excluded from the displayed native lists.

    Growing guidance: Illinois Extension — Keeping deer out of the yard and garden. Selected facts in original wording. General deer advice is not a species resistance rating.

    Additional community records: Evers (1955), Hill Prairies of Illinois. Hill-prairie records adapted from Evers (1955), © University of Illinois Board of Trustees, CC BY 4.0. Selected facts and taxonomic links; source spellings and historical survey dates retained.

    Plant Shipping & Care

    We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.

    As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.

     

    Choices to Receive Your Plants & Accessories

    • Website orders: Seed, plugs and bare-root plants offered for shipping are shipped to your address. Shipping charges are calculated at checkout.
    • Container trees and shrubs: Some #3 and #5 container options are offered for scheduled pickup only. Check the selected product option and the cart pickup instructions before ordering. Pickup and shipped items require separate orders where indicated in the cart.
    • Wholesale orders: Delivery and pickup are arranged separately according to the order, supplier yard and location. Wholesale pickup is free.
    • Pickup locations and dates are confirmed by email. Please wait for confirmation before traveling to a pickup site. Our offices are not retail stores or nursery pickup locations.

     

    Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready

    We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.

    Wholesale Orders

    • Shipped or are Ready For Pick Up As Requested.

     

    Retail & Website Orders

    • Seed Typically Ships Out Within One Week Of Order All Year Long
    • Typically, single species flats ship when ready, sometimes as soon as early to mid-April (depends on weather) through early-October.
    • Mixed species kits are batched and shipped as indicated on the product page.
    • If a plant order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the following spring. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the cold winter months. 
    • Early in the spring and later in the fall certain species may be dormant or partially dormant with brown leaves, however they will return to grow healthy next growing season.
    • Your order may arrive in several different shipments.
    • If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date, we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready.  In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments 
    • Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability.  We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish.  If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date.  If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
    • Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
    • Apparel & accessories are ready typically within one to two weeks. See product page for holiday shipping.

    Where We Ship

     

     

          What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery

          • Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
          • We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.

           

             Shipments

            • Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.

             

             

            What to Do With Your Plants After  Receiving Your Delivery

            • Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
            • Inspect for damage and report any issues immediately to Natives@NaturalCommunities.net
            • Water your plants
            • Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
            • If you cannot install your plants immediately
              • Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
              • Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
              • Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
              • No additional fertilizer is needed
            How to install native plugs
            View full details

            Solving a Site Problem? Get Expert Advice + Get Store Credit

            Whether you're fighting severe erosion, replacing invasive species, designing a pollinator haven, or seeding large acreage, choosing the wrong species wastes time and money. Talk 1-on-1 with a restoration ecologist to map out the exact species, plug counts, or seed mixes for your soil and goals. Book a consultation and get all or a portion credited directly back to your order.

            Questions & Answers loading...