(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Myrtle spurge was once planted as a "waterwise" ornamental in Utah gardens, but the resilient plant has escaped yards and is colonizing much of the Wasatch foothills to the detriment of native plants. Neal Dombrowski, a botanist with Red Butte Garden, in a patch of myrtle spurge in Red Butte Canyon, Tuesday, April 24, 2018.