Spurge

As 2024 comes to an end, the lawn plagues continue. While the gophers continue to rule in the front yard (the landlord sent over an exterminator but I think that he fed them instead of killing them), in the back yard the weird red plants are back again.

The grass in the back has never come back after the two-year drought when we were forbidden to water it at all. But in the last month, along with the annual return of the juncos (blessed be their return!), the weird, bright red ground covering has grown back.

The PlantNet app on my phone IDs it as likely being Spotted Spurge (or Green Creeping Spurge, or Ridge-Seed Spurge, or one variant called “Kiss me quick”), Euphorbia maculata L.. 

Wikipedia says that it’s considered a weed and has sap that is mildly toxic. Whatever. Any port in a storm. At least something’s growing back there.