Irish Spurge
Euphorbia hyberna
Bainne caoin

Irish Spurge is a medium-sized perennial, often growing in clumps. The flowers are puzzling to the amateur, but the effect is of a yellowish green, leafy group on about five stalks. The stalks join together in group of five leaves. Below this is a single stem with leaves, large, oblong and slightly downy, growing alternately down it.
The plant grows on lime-free soils in damp places and at the edge of woods. It grows prolifically in Cork and Kerry, and more rarely in southeast Galway and east Donegal.
Irish Spurge is poisonous and, crushed, was and still is used by poachers to kill fish. Country people used to rub it on warts as a cure.
It is in bloom in May.
Irish Spurge is a plant that needs a mild winter, and is rare in Britain.
It is found, but only sparsely, in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. It mainly grows in south-west Europe.