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Euphorbia heterophylla L.
Fiddler's spurge, Mexican fireplant

Euphorbia heterophylla
Copyright by: Tiffany Moore, 2020 Zoo Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Annual

Native Range: Widespread in North America, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America; a naturalized weed in Hawaii and elsewhere.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Secure

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Not Cultivated

Comments: For more images, click on the Atlas of Vascular Plants link below.

Synonyms: Poinsettia heterophylla.

Other data on Euphorbia heterophylla available from :

Euphorbia heterophylla has been found in the following 96 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
A.D. Doug Barnes Park Present Native
Arch Creek Park Present Native
Big and Little George Hammocks Present Native
Big Cypress National Preserve Present Native
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Present Native
Bill Sadowski Park Present Native
Biscayne National Park Present Native
Black Creek Forest Present Native
Black Point Park and Marina Present Native
Camp Owaissa Bauer Present Native
Camp Owaissa Bauer Addition Present Native
Castellow Hammock parcel 28 Present Native
Castellow Hammock parcel 33 Present Native
Coconut Creek Maple Swamp Natural Area Present Native
Coral Pines Park Present Native
Coral Reef Park Present Native
County Line Scrub, Miami-Dade County Present Native
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Crystal Lake Sand Pine Scrub Natural Area Present Native
Curry Hammock State Park Reported
Cypress Knee Slough Preserve Present Native
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Native
Deering Estate at Cutler Present Native
Delray Beach Municipal Beach Present Native
Delray Oaks Natural Area Present Native
Dolphin Center and Dolphin Center Addition Present Native
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Present Native
Dupuis Reserve Present Native
Eachus Pineland Present Native
Enchanted Forest Park Present Native
Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Everglades National Park Assumed to be Present Native
Fern Forest Nature Center Present Native
Florida City Pineland Present Native
Frenchman's Forest Natural Area Present Native
Frog Pond/L-31 N Transition Lands Present Native
George N. Avery Pineland Present Native
Harden Hammock Present Native
Hattie Bauer Hammock Present Native
High Ridge Scrub Natural Area Present Native
Highlands Scrub Natural Area Present Native
Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area Present Native
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Present Native
Indian Key Historic State Park Reported
Ingram Pineland Present Native
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Assumed to be Present Native
Juno Dunes Natural Area Present Native
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area Present Native
Kendall Indian Hammocks Park Present Native
Key West National Wildlife Refuge Reported
Lake San Pedro Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Larry and Penny Thompson Park Present Native
Little Hamaca Park Reported
Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center Doubtfully Present
Long Key State Park Reported
Loveland Hammock Present Native
Lucille Hammock Present Native
Ludlam Pineland Present Native
Matanzas Pass Preserve Present Native
Matheson Hammock Park Present Native
Military Trail Natural Area Present Native
Miramar Pineland Present Native
National Key Deer Refuge Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Navy Wells Pineland Preserve Present Native
Ned Glenn Nature Preserve Present Native
Nicodemus Slough Present Native
Nixon Smiley Pineland Addition Present Native
Oak Grove Park Present Native
Okeeheelee Park Present Native
Oleta River State Park Present Native
Palm Drive Pineland Present Native
Pine Shore Preserve Present Native
Pond Apple Slough Natural Area Present Native
Quail Roost Pineland Present Native
R. Hardy Matheson Preserve Present Native
Red Reef Park, including Gumbo Limbo Nature Center Present Native
Rock Pit 39 Present Native
Rockdale Pineland Present Native
School Board Property (Moody Drive and Turnpike) Native
Scrub Oak Park Present Native
Secret Woods Nature Center Present Native
Silver Palm Groves Present Native
SOCSOUTH Present Native
South Beach Park Present Native
Sunny Palms Pineland Present Native
Tall Cypress Natural Area Present Native
Tree Island Park Present Native
Tree Tops Park Present Native
Trinity Pineland Present Native
Tropical Park Present Native
Virginia Key Beach Park and Marine Stadium Present Native
West Lake Park/Anne Kolb Nature Center Present Native
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park Reported
Woodmont Natural Area Present Native
Zoo Miami Present Native

Euphorbia heterophylla has been found in the following 8 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Native
Charlotte County Native
Glades County Native
Lee County Native
Martin County Native
Miami-Dade County Native
Monroe County (Keys) Native
Palm Beach County

Euphorbia heterophylla has been found in the following 2 habitats :
Disturbed Upland
Pine Rockland

All Images:

Euphorbia heterophylla
Copyright by: Tiffany Moore, 2020 Zoo Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Euphorbia heterophylla
Copyright by: James Johnson, 2014
In habitat, Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area, Broward County, Florida
Euphorbia heterophylla
Copyright by: Shirley Denton
Euphorbia heterophylla
Copyright by: Tiffany Moore, 2020 Zoo Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Euphorbia heterophylla
Copyright by: Shirley Denton
Euphorbia heterophylla
Copyright by: Shirley Denton