Gardeners beware when working near Euphorbia plants
I've always liked donkey-tail spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites). An easy-care trailing plant with tight spirals of gray-green leaves that remain attractive year-round, it also has attractive yellow flowers in spring.
Good at self-seeding, it has gradually spread itself around in my rock garden. I like the effect and, if a new plant sprouts where I don't want it, it's easy to pull up and discard.
Recently, I spent a pleasant afternoon pulling up a few volunteer spurge plants and also cutting back more of the long sprawling stems to make room for a few new rock garden plants. That little job taught me a lesson I won't forget. I want to share my story with you, in hopes that I can keep others from suffering the same fate I did.
That evening when I removed my contact lenses, I was immediately overcome with searing pain in both eyes. I couldn't imagine what was wrong, but I rushed to flush my eyes out with water. Repeated efforts at flushing brought no relief and the pain was so great, I finally gave in to my husband's pleas and let him take me to the emergency room.
I was treated for a "chemical burn" to my eyes, but what chemical? Had I gotten some of the "family safe" mosquito repellent in my eyes? As the pain began to subside, I suddenly remembered reading that the milky sap in Euphorbia plants is a skin irritant. I've since learned it's responsible for many eye injuries, even blindness if not treated with antibiotic eye drops.
I suspect that some of the sap splashed in my eye as I carelessly tossed the stems from my perch on a rocky ledge. I won't be doing that again!
Donkey-tail spurge is just one of a large group of Euphorbia plants that gardeners are likely to encounter. All have milky sap, with varying degrees of toxicity. Native snow-on-the mountain, often grown in gardens and used in cut-flower bouquets, is considered to be particularly toxic.
Other cultivated Euphorbia plants include perennial favorites like flowering spurge and cushion spurge as well as the popular new filler plant for outdoor containers called Diamond Frost euphorbia. Indoor plants in the same group include pencil cactus, crown of thorns and poinsettia. Some common weeds, such as leafy spurge, are also euphorbias.
On the Web site of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (www.eyecarevolunteer.org), I learned that the juice of snow-on-the-mountain is so caustic it's been used for branding cattle. That's enough to convince me to use gloves, goggles and extra caution next time I'm gardening around any euphorbia.
 ¢ Jan Riggenbach's column appears every Sunday. Write to her in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights IL 60006. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for a personal reply.