Propagation
Sow fresh seed during spring after soaking over night in water. Plant directly In a prepared bed or in pots in frost prone areas.

Note:
As a weed it is controlled by physical removal of the plant and the taproot. If ingested it may be lethal and contact with the sap can cause skin irritation


Botanic information
Leaf: The large ovate leaves have 5 to 12 deep lobes and obvious pale green veins. The colour varies from purple to bronze-red to dull-green and the petiole is long.

Flower: The ovoid spike is up to 150mm (6in) long and has the female flowers in upper part and male flowers in the lower. The female flowers have an obvious red stigma and they appear during summer.

Fruit: The ovoid red-brown capsule is stalked up to 100mm (4in) long and covered in soft burrs. The three seeds are dispersed as the capsule explodes and the fruit and foliage are poisonous.