Skip to content

Your account

With an account, your progress (modules read, XP, badges, cards, notebook, pack, challenges) follows you on every device. Without one, it stays in this browser.

or
Toxic☠️ To avoid

🌿 Sun spurge

Euphorbia helioscopia · Euphorbiaceae

🌳 Temperate Europe🫒 Mediterranean🍁 North America
🧠 To remember it« White latex flow, eyes say no » — milky sap at the break, keep it far from your eyes and mouth.
Sun spurge — Euphorbia helioscopia

🔍 Identify it without mistakes

A small, common plant found in gardens and wasteland, representative of the large genus Euphorbia, all wild species of which must be considered toxic as a precaution. You can recognize it immediately by breaking a stem: a caustic milky white latex flows out right away, dangerous for your skin and especially hazardous for your eyes, where it can cause severe corneal damage.

  1. milky white latex oozing out immediately when breaking a stem or leaf — the key distinguishing feature of the entire Euphorbia genus
  2. typical umbel-like inflorescence of small yellow-green cyathia (false flowers) surrounded by bracts
  3. simple leaves, often arranged in a rosette below the inflorescence
  4. erect, non-woody, brittle stem
Size10-50 cm depending on the species
FloweringApril-October depending on the species
Habitatgardens, wasteland, cultivated fields, embankments — the genus Euphorbia includes dozens of wild species across Europe and North America

⚠️ Not to be confused with

Various non-laticiferous young vegetable shoots (—)—

To tell them apart: the golden rule: any plant that exudes a milky white latex when snapped must be considered toxic and avoided, with no exceptions for testing edibility

☠️ What kills

nomPhorbol esters and other caustic diterpenes present in the plant's latex
dose letale estimeerarely fatal through accidental ingestion in adults due to its extremely unpleasant taste and immediate purgative effect limiting the amount absorbed; the main danger is ocular, where a single drop of latex can cause severe corneal damage (approx)
delaia few minutes for skin or eye irritation, 30 min to 2 h for digestive troubles
symptomesskin burning and blistering upon contact with latex, intense eye pain with risk of keratitis or even temporary vision loss if splashed in the eye, severe vomiting and violent diarrhea if ingested
antidoteno antidote; prolonged eye rinsing is imperative in case of contact, symptomatic treatment for ingestion
morts documenteesexceptional in humans; the most serious documented risk is temporary blindness or long-term eye damage after latex gets into the eye

First steps : If splashed in the eye: flush abundantly with clear water for at least 15 minutes and seek emergency ophthalmic care. If ingested: call poison control, do not induce vomiting. Wash your hands thoroughly after any contact with a plant containing white latex.

Sources (2)

No entry replaces a certain identification in the field, or medical advice. When in doubt: don't eat it. If ingestion is suspected: poison control or 112/911.