Sea spurge (Euphorbia paralias)

Sea spurge is a small, upright, multi-stemmed perennial shrub, with fleshy blue-green leaves and green flowers. It is an environmental weed of coastal dunes.

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How does this weed affect you?

Sea spurge is a coastal weed that grows in thick patches along the dunes closest to the water. It spreads quickly and:

• stops natural movement of sand along beaches
• changes the natural shape and structure of dunes
• ruins nesting areas for threatened shorebirds
• reduces the number of native plants
• limits walkers and beach users access
• releases a poisonous sap that can irritate skin and eyes.

Human health

Damaged plants release a milky sap that can irritate the skin and be painful if it comes into contact with eyes.

What to do if a person is poisoned:

• If the patient is unconscious, unresponsive or having difficulty breathing dial 000 or get to the emergency section of a hospital immediately.
• If the patient is conscious and responsive call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 or your doctor.
• If going to a hospital take a piece of the plant for identification.

What does it look like?

Sea spurge is a small, upright, multi-stemmed shrub that usually grows between 20 and 70 cm tall. It has fleshy, blue-green leaves and small yellow-green flowers.

Each year new stems grow in spring from the root crown. Flowers appear between September and May. After flowering stems die off and are replaced with new ones the next spring.

Stems:

• upright
• fleshy
• branched near tips
• several, usually less than ten
• ooze a milky sap when damaged
• die off after flowering, replaced by new shoots from the roots.

Leaves:

• fleshy blue-green
• 5-30 mm long
• tightly packed along the stem.

Flowers:

• small
• yellow-green
• cup-shaped
• on end of stems.

Fruit:

• capsules
• 3-5 mm long and 4.5-6 mm wide.

Seeds:

• smooth
• pale grey
• oval or rounded
• 2.5–3.5 mm long.

Roots:

• long-lived
• woody crown
• long taproot

Similar looking plants

Sea spurge may be confused with coast candles (Stackhousia spathulata), but these plants do not ooze sap like sea spurge does.

Where is it found?

Sea spurge is a weed of coastal areas. It prefers sandy, free draining soils and is not affected by salt.

It is mainly found along beaches, anywhere from the high water mark to rear dunes. Plants can grow on bare sand and are also found around:

• estuaries (river mouths)
• rocky foreshores
• rock shelves
• coastal lakes.

It can also invade inland areas of native vegetation near beaches, including native grasslands, coastal heaths and scrublands.

Plants that have been buried by moving sand can keep growing when re-exposed.

Maps and records

• Recorded presence of Sea spurge during property inspections (Map: Biosecurity Information System - Weeds, 2017-2024)
  These records are made by authorised officers during property inspections under the Biosecurity Act 2015. Officers record the presence of priority weeds in their council area and provide this to the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Records reflect the presence of the weed on the date of inspection.
  
  

How does it spread?

Sea spurge spreads by seeds. Spread can be:

• a few metres from the parent plant when seeds ‘explode’ out of their capsules
• long-distance- seeds can float in sea water for several years. They move around on ocean currents, sometimes washing up on far-away beaches.

Seeds can also be spread by vehicles, ballast water or contaminated sand or soil.

More information

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Control

Killing plants is quite easy but it can be hard to achieve long-term control of sea spurge because seeds can spread to new or previously controlled areas via the ocean. Success is more likely in areas where infestations are new and the chance of re-infestation from local and floating seeds is low.

It is important to prevent the sap from coming into contact with skin or eyes. Wear gloves, sturdy clothes and shoes, protective eyewear and other PPE. Remember to wash your hands after handling.

Physical removal

Individual plants and small infestations can be hand pulled. Seedlings are shallow-rooted and easy to pull up. Remove all of the crown to prevent regrowth.

Chemical Control

Spot spraying is suitable for larger infestations. 

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 500 mL to 1 L per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 300 to 600 mL per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 - 20 g per 100 L water plus surfactant
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Greater Sydney Exclusion zone: whole region except the core infestation area of the Sutherland Shire.	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Eradication) Whole region: Land managers mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. The plant or parts of the plant are not traded, carried, grown or released into the environment. Exclusion zone: The plant is eradicated from the land and the land is kept free of the plant. Local Control Authority is notified if the plant is found on the land. Core area: Land managers prevent spread from their land where feasible.
Hunter	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Eradication) Notify local control authority if found. Land managers should eradicate the plant from the land and keep the land free of the plant. A person should not deal with the plant, where dealings include but are not limited to buying, selling, growing, moving, carrying or releasing the plant.
North Coast	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Eradication) Land managers should mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Land managers should eradicate the plant from the land and keep the land free of the plant. A person should not deal with the plant, where dealings include but are not limited to buying, selling, growing, moving, carrying or releasing the plant. Notify local control authority if found.
South East Exclusion zone: Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama Local Government Areas. Containment zone: Whole of region except Exclusion zone.	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Containment) Whole of region: Land managers mitigate the risk of new weeds being introduced to their land. A person should not deal with the plant, where dealings include but are not limited to buying, selling, growing, moving, carrying or releasing the plant. Within exclusion zone: Land managers should eradicate the plant from the land and keep the land free of the plant. Notify local control authority if found. Within containment zone: Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value. Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land.
	*To see the Regional Strategic Weeds Management Plans containing demonstrated outcomes that fulfil the general biosecurity duty for this weed click here

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Reviewed 2023