This is the least interesting of the spurges but by far the most successful plant of the family. It is a garden weed and will happily grow in waste places, rubbish dumps, verges, paths and pavements. It does have the typical Spurge reproductive parts of male and female flowers on the same plant but they are very small and you only see them easily with a hand lens.

E. peplus is found throughout England, Wales, Ireland and southern Scotland but in northern scotland is found nearer the eastern coasts and dotted about elsewhere.

LHS: Great Orme 7th March 2007 RHS: Helsby, Cheshire 24th September 2004

Added on December 12th 2004, updated 13th January 2009, updated 30th March 2010