A member of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, Wavyleaf noseburn is a perennial plant native to coastal locations of the eastern portions of the United States. It prefers dry sandy soil, its native habitat including sandhills, dry savannas, oak and hickory woodlands and edged woodlands, and openings in dry woodlands. In North Carolina, it can be located in the Sandhills and the southern Coastal Plain. Typically reaching a height of under 1', this plant is quite inconspicuous. Plants can have several ascending branches with a few leaves on each. The toothed leaves, however, have sharp points and hair-like growth that has a stinging feel when handled. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The short hair-like growth found on most parts of the plant are armed with stinging trichomes.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Alternate simple leaves with hairs margins entire, undulate or sinuate with a few distal teeth. They are sharp-pointed to the base, may be toothed or have a wavy margin. The upper sides of the leaves have a leathery look, while the undersides are glossy.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Tiny blooms in racemes that form in the axils from April to June with small orange yellow flowers with 5 red spotted petals that bend backward.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Erect thin branched stems with soft pubesenct hairs