Don’t let wild parsnip, giant hogweed, poison ivy wreck your summer
In summer, a suburbanite’s thoughts turn to the great outdoors.
Trees, ponds, winding paths through the woods.
Among all that loveliness, however, lurk some villains. Experts say that before you head out to immerse yourself in nature, take some time to learn which plants are friends and which are foes.
In other words, don’t let the flowers fool you.
This is the time of year when wild parsnip, giant hogweed and poison ivy bloom. But don’t be tempted to pick them. A single brush with these plants’ fluids can cause irritating rashes or burns that can last weeks, even months.
While not new to the plant world, giant hogweed is relatively new to Illinois, having been discovered here about 10 years ago. But, contrary to what some may think, wild parsnip is not. Chances are you’ve been co-existing with it, as well as poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, for years without even realizing it.
Wild parsnip, in fact, may date back to the earliest settlers.
Why is it suddenly in the news?
“I have no idea,” said Dave Robson, natural resource management supervisor with the Forest Preserve District of Will County. “It may just be people are starting to report encounters with it more frequently.”
“Each year at this time, wild parsnip makes headlines,” said Nancy Kreith, Cook County educator for horticulture with the University of Illinois Extension service. “But it’s been around for a while.”
Still, for novices or casual naturegoers and especially those interested in collecting wild edibles, Robson said, “A good basic first step to protect yourself against unnecessary injury or harm is just being able to identify toxic plants in the area so you can avoid them.”
Old news or news to you, experts say it never hurts to review nature’s noxious lineup. So let’s go over our notes.
Kreith, who works in the extension’s Mokena office, said wild parsnip is a fairly common, hardy plant that can grow in numerous places, including disturbed areas such as city parking lots, along roadsides and river banks, and near railroad tracks.
Robson added that it has even been found on soccer and baseball fields.
Originally from Europe and Asia, it can grow 2 to 5 feet and looks “a lot like Queen Anne’s lace but has a yellow flower,” Kreith said.
It is a biennial plant, with a taproot that is harmless and, in cultivated form, even edible during its first year. The trouble starts during its second year, when it flowers, Robson said.
Kreith said the danger lies in the sap, which can be tapped from broken leaves or stems.
“When the sap gets on your skin, it reacts with sunlight and causes a burn,” she said. “They say everyone is sensitive to it, but it’s worse for people who are allergic.”
Robson said, “If you get the skin rash from wild parsnip, it has to run its course.”
The rash can last days or even months. “I know people who had the rash for months and ended up with permanent scarring on their tissue,” he said. “It’s a nasty one.”
But, like a lot of scary things in nature, the plant has a productive side.
The large, conic taproot that develops during its first year is kind of like a carrot, Robson said.
The edible portion has been used as a sweetener and food in Europe for ages, he added. “It was brought here for that purpose by the early colonists, probably.”
You can still buy parsnip in the grocery store, although the cultivated variety is a bit different from the wild kind, Robson said, but it has fallen out of favor as a food source.
“As time went on, people stopped cultivating it. They moved on to potatoes and other food types,” he said.
Kreith said that if you do encounter wild parsnip on your property, there are safe ways to remove it. Wear protective clothing and gloves and either pull it by hand or severely cut it at the root with a spade and dispose of the top, she said.
“You can help control the spread by removing the seed heads before they mature, right when they start flowering. Snip those off into a bag and dispose of the bag,” she said.
“Most sources do not recommend mowing because you won’t get the root, and you’ll be mowing out other plants around it that are shading out the seeds from regrowing,” she said. “And, if you choose to use an herbicide, be sure it’s on your own property, follow directions on the label and wear long clothing. It’s hard to control with an herbicide.”
Kreith said the giant hogweed is on the watch list of most unwanted invasive pests that can cause severe skin reactions.
Unlike the wild parsnip, which is often snuffed out naturally by native plants, the giant hogweed is “outcompeting native vegetation, especially in eroded areas and along stream banks,” she said.
The super-tall plant, which can reach 10 to 15 feet, “has been confirmed in Cook and Lake counties,” she said.
Like wild parsnip, its sap reacts with the sun to cause severe burning and blistering.
Giant hogweed, she said, “has huge compound leaves that are dissected. It has thick stems, covered in purple blotches and coarse white hairs.”
Its white flowers bloom in June or July and form an umbel pattern marked by several small blooms spreading out from a single point.
When it comes to toxic plants, Robson said, “One of the things I do a lot — any opportunity I get, especially with kids — is I point it out, so they can identify it and avoid themselves a miserable experience.”
Poison ivy, he said, “is almost cruel. It has the prettiest red leaves in the fall. And because it’s a vine that grows along the trunks of trees, it’s at eye level. I’m sure many people have gotten poison ivy in the fall just by seeing that beautiful red leaf and picking a bunch.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the sap oil found in poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac could cause an itchy red rash with bumps or blisters. Depending on how much the rash spreads, the effect can be debilitating. Outdoor workers, children and outdoor novices are especially at risk.
Robson said that, unlike wild parsnip, poison ivy does not need sunlight to cause a reaction. But, as with wild parsnip, the severity of the reaction can vary.
“I’ve never had a reaction, and I come in contact with it all the time,” he said. “They say the more you come in contact with poison ivy, the more you develop a sensitivity to it. Eventually, at some point, you’re likely to have an allergic reaction to it.”
Some people are just lucky, but most who work outdoors know what to look for and how to avoid it, he said.
So, whether you have your sights set on becoming the next Jeremiah Johnson or you simply want to enjoy a picnic in the woods, Robson said, “Learn some basic plant identification skills.”
And, he added, teach your children.
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