some kind of poinsettia?

This stuff was growing here, when we bought the house. My horticulture-degreed neighbor told me, they are a type of Poinsettia. They're all green now, but the upper leaves will turn bright orange later on & then almost red as the Summer wears on - but only if they get direct sunlight & a lot of it. Does anybody know for sure what this is? It comes up from seed each year and it has filled the flower beds before, so I have been pulling it up.

 

I have this to, try googling Euphorbia heterophylla. I've always heard them called Summer Poinsettia. They are easy to pull up usually, catch them early on before they set seeds to help control them. Birds an wind help distribute the seeds.

 

Does this plant get a flower of some description? I suppose it must if the little plants come up from seed as you noted.
Do you have a foto of it?
I must say...it does look familiar.
It doesn't climb, does it?

 

Sjoerd,
It has a tiny flower, but none are flowering yet & I don't have a picture handy. I'll post some more later in Summer, when they start blooming & turning colors. But you can look at the link below & see it.

Trudy,
That's it! I like this link: http://www.ncwildflower.org/plants/e/eu ... phylla.htm

 

It looks like a nice, little plant. I've never seen that before, thanks for sharing.

 

Once I figured out it was a weed (to me anyway) I don't let them get to the flower stage. The first year on this property I did let them flower (didn't know any better)an have been pulling them up ever since, that was in 93.

Sj, no it doesn't climb but can get 3 ft or better if left alone.

 

What a curious little thing. It sounds way to invasive for my liking though. I find Lilly-of-the-valley lovely but also too invasive.
How will you contain this little plant?
I was looking closely at the leaves of your plants and the pics on the link, and I wonder if the leaves on your plants change their shape to match the ones in the pic on the link.
It's all very interesting to me.

 

This is my Summer Poinsettia,It only has little diamond shaped red spots and I never have had anything that looks like a bloom and it doesn't spread every where.Is this the plant your talking about.

 

That looks like the ones I have. I will have them controled then the next year they are back, glendann I think yours are at a different stage (farther along) than the one in the link. The link ones are just starting to set "flowers".

 

Check out my post in the Gallery from June 26th. I've got a picture of this euphorbia stuff with the orange/red coloration.