Upon reading the above I went on web and came across this website: http://www.theamateursdigest.c...

I have not checked out the source and veracity of her comments, BUT you might want to look at the website. It's a little scary.

Maybe some who are more familiar with the plants can come on and give us some information.

Hi Ginny,

No doubt about it, Euphorbias are plenty poisonous. I assume that this is how it is able to repel gophers and moles.

Lots of people grow some Euphorbia species (and other poisonous plants) as houseplants. It's just important to know what you have, and then take the precautions you deem appropriate for your situation.

Ginny, Poinsettias are Euphorbias. We all know they are poisonous & I think we've all at one time or another gotten some of the sap on our hands. I'm still here. Not to say one shouldn't be careful, but I always wash my hands very well after dealing with ANY plant, harmless or not. And I NEVER touch my face with my hands while doing anything gardening wise. It's just good sense.

I've kept Euphorbia around for about 40 years. It grows in all but one of my gardens and I have no moles, rabbits or anything else bothering the plants. On the other hand, I have one side area which is close to a neighboring house, so I never planted Euphorbia on that side. That garden contains my shade plants.

It has more mole/vole tunnels than I care to mention and has been the most difficult area to maintain because of critters.

It's the sap in Euphorbia that's most toxic, so animals stay away from it.
Like with a lot of other toxic plants, use caution particularly when young children are around. The sap is likely to be a skin irritant as well, so again, use caution when planting or weeding.

It can be invasive, spreads by long runners. Pretty foliage and blooms, though.

We have a lot of different Euphorbias around in this area. The only one of which I know people have gotten bad reactions is E. tirucalli, aka Firesticks or Pencil Cactus. Two people I know ended up in the ER when they got the sap in their eyes.

And this is a great tip!

Kind of scary to me!

Don't know if I want to do this tip.

Marilyn, do you have poinsettias during Christmas?

Same thing, as Ann said.

Sharon said:Marilyn, do you have poinsettias during Christmas?

Same thing, as Ann said.

Nope!

We have two adorable bunnies that have the roam of house!

Euphorbia lathyrus is sold in the local nurseries as a gopher repellent and it seems to grow wild here, or perhaps is simply so invasive that it enters the garden from surrounding areas. I've heard that the seeds can fly 50 feet.

I have never seen any evidence that it repels gophers. They will eat plants just 3 inches away from it. In some cases, the gophers have also eaten the Euphorbia after they have laid waste to everything else that's not in gopher-proof baskets. I suppose they die after that, but there are always lots more to take their place.

So, in view of the danger they pose, and in view of their ineffectiveness in my garden, I would never allow another one to grow here. I pull them up as soon as I see them, taking great care to always wear gloves and my glasses while I'm pulling them. I use a pair of disposable gloves for this purpose and I throw them away immediately so that I won't accidentally touch my face or pet one of the cats while I'm still wearing the gloves.

I don't know a thing about gophers, Zuzu, I've never seen one. I don't think they like my area.
I'm sorry you have so much trouble with them.

They're rampant in California, Sharon. Count your blessings.

I remember your horror stories over the years.

We have lots of gophers here and they do lots of damage. I started using Euphorbias some years ago when I was told it would repel them. The gophers and voles are gone from the areas I planted the this toxic plant, so 3 years ago I started planting lilies, I could never have them before because of the gophers. I have not lost one of my lovely lilies. The gophers are everywhere else in the yard, but they don't go where the Euphorbia is planted.
They would even open their tunnel right next to a tomato plant and eat the tomatoes and sqaush. Not anymore.

Euphorbia Diamond Frost is a favorite of mine. I don't know if it has gopher repelling qualities, but if so, all the better

Yep, I know that after you know and weigh the ups and downs of most plants you makes your decision and takes your chances! Just wanted others to find out what I didn't know until I checked them out on the web.

I think I'll take the middle of the road and try one or two, BUT with a lot more care than I ususally take with most of the plants I use. I have had no problems with any so far, and have developed a lazy, don't worry attitude when in the garden. But not with this stuff, at least until i get lazy again!

Thanks for the input from so many folks, it really makes this site the great one it is.

Yes Ginny, you're right. I have had the Jatropha for many years & both dh & I have pruned & gotten sap on us & our clothes & suffered no ill except that the sap goes on your clothes clear & when it dries you end up with rust like stains which I guarantee you can NOT get out! All parts of the jatropha are poisonous.

On the other hand; there's no telling who is sensitive to what particular plant. When I was about 5, I "helped" my dad haul the prunings of our Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) to the curb. After a couple years of playing around this plant & being sternly warned that the seeds were poisonous & to NEVER put them in my mouth & if I touched the seeds to wash my hands IMMEDIATELY; I had had no problems with the plant. However, when I helped dad, I got some of the sap on me. The next day I broke out in giant hives the size of guinea eggs under the skin. Eyes were swollen shut & I felt horrible. Had to get a BIG needle in my hip from the doc for that one. My father was fine.

Wow Ann, that must have been scary.

Ginny I grow both the species Euphorbia and E. 'Rudolph'. The Rudolph works just as good as the species. This year I would like get Some of the Ascot Rainbow Euphorbia (Euphorbia x martini 'Ascot Rainbow')
and
Tasmanian Tiger Spurge (Euphorbia characias 'Tasmanian Tiger')

Scary enough Lynn that even today, 50 years later, when I see a Castor Bean plant I head the other direction FAST!

I grew up around castor bean plants and still don't worry about them. Nothings seemed to want to eat them.