The Mystery Weed

I was working in my front yard last week and came upon this little plant with bright red flowers. Knowing I had not planted it and it sprang up unbidden from the depths of the sugar sand, I thought it might be a good thing. This plant resembles Snow on the Mountain and looks like a Euphorbia. (Poinsettias are Euphorbias)

My neighbor happened by and I asked her about it. She identified it as a Wild Poinsettia.

The research began, first I found out it is a Wild Poinsettia, sometimes called Fire on the Mountain versus Snow on the Mountain. And a relative of both Snow on the Mountain and Christmas Poinsettias. The next thing that came up was, Invasive! and it had been featured as weed of the month for the state of Florida.

Another foreign invader in our midst. It was too good to be true.