Species · genus Euphorbia · Euphorbiaceae

Caper Spurge

Euphorbia lathyris L.

Also known as: Gopher Plant · Moleplant · Mole Plant · Gopherplant

Growth habit

Unknown

Reference · E. lathyris

Cultivars of E. lathyris

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under E. lathyris yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Euphorbia lathyris is a member of the spurge family, a group of plants adapted to lean, well-drained soils that store water and resent sitting wet. Plant it in a gritty, fast-draining mix and let the top two inches of soil dry fully before watering again. Like other euphorbias it produces a milky latex when cut, which can irritate skin and eyes, so handle with care.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 10-21d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 21 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

10–27 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining sandy or gritty mix

Propagation

Seed, self-sows readily

Fertilizing

Minimal feeding; a light dose in spring is plenty

Growth rate

Fast

Flowering

Small green-yellow blooms; biennial, flowers in its second year

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Euphorbiaceae produce an irritant milky latex that is caustic to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes if contacted or ingested. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 10-21d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Caper Spurge yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.