Family: Euphorbiaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Broad latitudinal range
  
• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized on Midway Atoll, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii (Hawaiian Islands), and widely naturalized elsewhere
  
• A weed of disturbed sites and an environmental weed in Australia and Midway Atoll
  
• Other Euphorbia species are invasive
  
• Toxic to animals and people
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Able to form dense thickets
  
• Reproduces by seeds
  
• An annual, reaching maturity in one growing season
  
• Mature capsules open explosively, expelling seeds short distances.
  
• Seeds also dispersed by water, in dumped garden waste, and intentionally cultivated by people as an ornamental
  
• Prolific seed production

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Palatable to grazing animals (despite toxicity)
  
• Valued as an ornamental
  
• Grows in full sun (shade may inhibit spread)
  
• Not reported to spread vegetatively
  
• Herbicides and mechanical methods may provide effective control