Sunday 2 August 2015

Wild parsnip in the Ottawa Valley

First year plant.
The second year it matures
and produces blossoms and seeds.
The birds and wind have scattered it.
Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.) is everywhere. We know. We drive into the city for healthcare on a regular basis.
www.eddmaps.org/Ontario
You can report wild parsnip online [www.eddmaps.org/Ontario]. I'm not sure what for, as it lines the roads. You can't drive these roads without spotting it.


Easier to report where it isn't!

Its poisons are oily and hard to remove.
Phytophotodermatitis results when you have the oils on your skin, and you are exposed to the sun.
  1. Phytophotodermatitis, also known as "Lime Disease" (not to be confused with Lyme Disease), "Berloque dermatitis", or "Margarita photodermatitis" is a chemical reaction which makes skin hypersensitive to ultraviolet light.


Kevin Wylie city of Ottawa general manager public works wild parsnip July 22 2015Wild parsnip worries continue in Ottawa as part of Rideau Trail closed


Kevin Wylie, the city's general manager of public works, says city staff sprayed more than 200 kilometres of roadsides to fight the toxic weed in the spring. (CBC News)



8 comments:

Linda aka Crafty Gardener said...

On one of our drives into the county this past week we drove along a road that was loaded with wild parsnip. It has been around for years but now everyone is aware of it due to all the publicity.

Olga said...

It is all over our Vermont roadsides as well. The burn its oil gives is very nasty. And long lasting as well.

DUTA said...

I'm surprised that a poisonous plant is found everywhere, and that city staff spray toxic to fight a toxic weed. The authorities should approach real experts and find the right solution.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
I think every country in the world now has plants which turn out to be real devils due to rampant overgrowth; one wonders at the spread, but of course it means that the environment has gotten out of balance..... YAM xx

Red said...

That looks like a very nasty invasive.

Karen said...

We spent the day back roading through Renfrew, Lennox and Addington and Lanark Counties today. The wild parsnip is TERRIBLE! Didn't see any giant hogweed though, whew.

Kay said...

Someone sent me a warning about lime burns. Good gosh! What a surprise! I'm glad I have lemon trees and not lime.

William Kendall said...

Fortunately I've never experienced its bad effects!