Wild Parsnip Worse Than Poison Ivy?

[I'm Movin' On...]

So what if I told you that out there lies a plant just as hideious as poison ivy would you be scared? Well be scared!!!! Its called Wild Parsnip.

Wild parsnip grows in large patches or as scattered plants along roadsides, in abandoned fields, on pastures, on restored prairies, and in disturbed open areas.

There are chemicals in wild parsnip called psoralens (precisely, furocoumarins) that cause what dermatologists call "phyto-photo-dermatitis." That means an inflammation (itis) of the skin (derm) induced by a plant (phyto) with the help of sunlight (photo). When absorbed by skin, furocoumarins are energized by ultraviolet light (present during sunny and cloudy days) causing them to bind with nuclear DNA and cell membranes. This process destroys cells and skin tissue, though the reaction takes time to produce visible damage in disturbed open areas.

In mild cases, affected skin reddens and feels sunburned. In more severe cases, the skin reddens first, then blisters rise -- some are impressively large -- and for a while the area feels like it has been scalded. Places where skin is most sensitive (arms, legs, torso, face, neck) are most vulnerable. Moisture from perspiration speeds the absorption of the psoralens.

Blisters appear a day or two after sun exposure. Soon after blisters rupture and the skin begins to heal. One of wild parsnip's "signature" effects is a dark red or brownish discoloration of the skin in the area where the burn occurred. This hyper-pigmentation can persist in the skin for as long as two years.

Parsnip burns often appear as streaks and long spots. These reveal where a juicy leaf or stem drags across the skin, and is then exposed to the sun. Because of its surface resemblance to the effects of poison ivy, and because wild parsnip is so rarely accurately identified, it nearly always is diagnosed and treated as poison ivy. If you note the six clinical differences (see sidebar), however, you can readily tell them apart.

If you get a parsnip burn, relieving the symptoms comes first. The affected area can be covered with a cool, wet cloth. If blisters are present, try to keep them from rupturing for as long as possible. The skin of a blister is "nature's bandage," as one doctor put it, and it keeps the skin below protected, moist and clean while healing occurs. When blisters pop, try to leave the skin "bandage" in place. To avoid infection, keep the area clean and apply an antibiotic cream.

Adding Domeboro powder to cool cloth compresses can help dry weeping blisters. Some doctors recommend a topical or systemic cortisone-steroid for extreme discomfort. For serious cases with extensive blistering, consult a physician.

Avoiding exposure, of course, is the wisest tactic. By learning to recognize the plant in different seasons and in different stages of growth, you can steer clear of it, or protect yourself by wearing gloves, long pants and long-sleeve shirts. Some people pull up the wild parnsips in the evening, when exposure to sunlight is minimal. If you do get the plant juice on your skin, the sooner you thoroughly wash the area, the less you will be affected.

 

Keep these three points in mind when you encounter wild parsnip:

 

1.Everyone can get it. Unlike poison ivy, you don't need to be sensitized by a prior exposure. Wild parsnip causes a non-allergic dermatitis that can occur with the right combination of plant juice and sunlight.

 

2.You can touch and brush against the plant -- carefully -- without harm. Parsnip is only dangerous when the juice gets on skin from broken leaves or stems. Fair-skinned people, however, may be extra-sensitive to tiny amounts of juice.

 

3.Wild parsnip's "burn" is usually less irritating than poison ivy's "itch." Generally, wild parsnip causes a modest burning pain for a day or two, and then the worst is over. The itch and discomfort from poison ivy, in contrast, can drive people crazy for a long time.

 

[+Team Neos]

You have a bad episode?

 

There are many plants that can cause that kind of reaction in people that are susceptible--including celery, parsley, carrots. Queen Anne's Lace, limes, etc. Grocers and field workers harvesting the plants have a lot of problem with this type of reaction.

 

Other types of reactions (not light dependent) can occcur when you brush against tomato plants, marigolds, pine trees, tulips, ragweed, lichen, feverfew etc etc etc

 

My all time favorite annoying plant is stinging nettle. If there are only three stinging nettle plants in a four hundred acre park, I will walk right through them. It doesn't bother me much, just burns a little while, but it leaves welps on my poor husband.

 

I still think we are better off than my son, who gets hives when he is exposed to cold air. They go away shortly after he gets indoors again, but he probably won't have any ice-skating dates to remember in his old age.

[+NorthWes]

Alaska's version of Wild Parsnip is called Cow Parsnip (or in local vernacular - "Pushki"). It grows over 7 feet in height and loves the edges of trails...

 

I had a nasty burn from Cow Parsnip two years ago. I'd spent a day spent clearing downed trees on a side trail off the heavily-traveled USFS Resurrection Trail (on the Chugach National Forest near Hope, Alaska), wearing full coverage clothing (gloves, long sleeves taped to the gloves, overshirt, neck bandanna, hat, face shield, long pants taped to high rubber knee boots). The cow parsnip was in its full glory, and I tromped fearlessly through several miles of it knowing I'd covered up from any contact. At day's end my partner & I got back down to the main trail, stripped off & bagged our work clothing and changed into our 'trail cruise' lightweight shirts and shorts. Strapping on 50# backpacks with chainsaws, fuel cans and so forth aboard, we swung into a 3.5 mph pace and began our 5-mile cruise out to the truck. At a narrow steep downhill spot on the trail we were overtaken from behind by mountain bikers. Stepping off the trail (on the downhill side - the only place with any room), we let them pass. Before the last biker made it past he lost control and careened into me at speed, knocking me head over heels backwards down a steep slope into a huge patch of cow parsnip. I landed on my backpack, and rolled a second time heels over head, ending up facefirst down in the weeds, over 40 feet below the trail. Fortunately I'd gotten my arms over my face, and they absorbed both the impact and the fluids from the crushed cow parsnip. Unfortunately, I had scraped skin absorbing that fluid... and another 3.5 miles to hike in the sunlight.

 

Got back up to the trail, cleaned my wound, washed as thoroughly as I could (we had a full backcountry first aid kit with surface antiseptics etc), changed into a spare longsleeved shirt, and washed the arms again when we made the truck, and when I got home that evening as well. Next morning I awoke early to a burning feeling - my right arm had blistered (inside the scraped areas as well as 'virgin' skin). Ugly and 'uncomfortable' - I assure you! It took 5 weeks for the blisters to heal, and a reddish-brown 'stain' persisted in the affected areas for over a year and a half. The skin was super-sensitive to sunlight, with crawly-itching burning sensations springing up even from wintertime exposure.

 

Moral of the story - avoid Cow Parsnip (AND novice mountain bikers!)...

 

Here's a link to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge's online article about Cow Parsnip.

 

This is a photo (taken at 5' above ground level - face height) of the top 2 feet of a field of Cow Parsnip I encountered accessing a cache in Anchorage AK last evening:

 

[Pto]

Its become invasive in MN recently

 

Actually, they just decided to do a news story on it.

 

Very nasty stuff- I definately have bad reactions to it-

ITs everywhere in NW Wisc near my cabin, but usually in ditches, etc- so its pretty easy to avoid.

[+OHMIKY]

Cow parsnip grows in Ohio, too - it is not limited in scope to Alaska.

 

I have NEVER had any reaction to any of that family of plants - and have waded through my share of fields full of them - so if you don't mind, I will ignore your friendly warning.

 

Carry on.

[+Kit Fox]

Besides Poison Oak, and Stinging Nettles, Socal also has the Poodle Dog Bush.

 

Associated Press

SAN BERNARDINO - Forest crews, hikers and off-roaders are being warned to avoid a stinky pest lurking in the San Bernardino National Forest - the towering poodle-dog bush - because it can cause severe skin problems.

 

The green plant with purple blossoms - officially called the Turricula parryi - is plentiful in the chaparral burned in the 2003 wildfires and state fire officials issued a public advisory warning of the dangers if the plant is touched.

 

The pungent flower can cause severe dermatitis: blistering, rash, swelling and itching.

 

Poodle-dog bush blooms in the summer and is common on slopes across southwestern California. It is particularly heavy in the aftermath of large fires.

 

After the Old and Grand Prix wildfires in the fall of 2003, the poodle-dog emerged on blackened slopes. This summer, the areas were blanketed with poodle-dog, apparently thriving because of fires and rainy winter deluge.

 

The plant is covered with microscopic, prickly hairs that give off phenolics, a noxious chemical that induces a reaction akin to poison oak, U.S. Forest Service botanist Melody Lardner said. The irritation can last more than a week.

 

"It's hard to sleep, it's hard to do anything because it itches so bad," Lardner said. "It's always been here, but it's far more abundant this year. It's hard to pass through some places without getting it on you."

[Icosahedron_sw]

What you are describing is Giant Hogsbane. Wild Carrot and Cow Parsnip are edible and only cause rashes in rare occasions. Water Hemlock and Giant Hogsbane are the problem ones. Wild Cow Parsnip is only harmful if you're rubbing the sap against yourself. Giant Hogsbane is the one that causes rashes and painful blisters. However, they all look the same, so I forgive your confusion, but I don't want people eliminating plants that don't need eliminating.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Icosahedron_sw

[Mr.Yuck]

What you are describing is Giant Hogsbane, please correct your terminology.

 

Wild Carrot and Cow Parsnip are edible and don't cause problems. Water Hemlock and Giant Hogsbane are the problem ones.

 

Wild Cow Parsnip is NOT harmful in any way.

 

Giant Hogsbane is the one that causes rashes and painful blisters.

 

However, they all look the same, so I forgive your confusion, but I don't want people eliminating plants that don't need eliminating.

 

Speaking terminology, what the heck is Hogsbane? Did you post that from a phone, and it auto corrected the word? I'm not even finding anything on a Google or Bing search. Giant Hogweed, sure. I see 4 of your 5 finds are in Ontario, where Giant Hogweed is prominent. I once saw about a 15 foot high specimen near the Ford Plant in Oakville, Ontario, while Geocaching. When I started caching, and first heard of it, it used to be confined to New York, Ontario, and Washington State. I've heard it's spread to more States, and Quebec. Supposedly there's a lot in the UK too, since we have many UK posters here. It must be, seeing as Peter Gabriel era Genesis wrote a song about it 40 years ago.

[+The Blorenges]

... I've heard it's spread to more States, and Quebec. Supposedly there's a lot in the UK too, since we have many UK posters here. It must be, seeing as Peter Gabriel era Genesis wrote a song about it 40 years ago.

 

This plant seems to have rejuvenated this topic after 6 years dormancy...

 

Yes, we do have Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum - just so we're all talking about the same thing) in the UK - Not loads of it, but it is around, I've seen it a few times. It's an impressive plant... just admire it from a few feet away.

 

I don't know if we have wild parsnips, or even slightly exuberant parsnips - I'll find out about them.

 

 

MrsB

 

Edited to repair spelling.

Edited August 23, 2012 by The Blorenges

[knowschad]

What you are describing is Giant Hogsbane. Wild Carrot and Cow Parsnip are edible and only cause rashes in rare occasions. Water Hemlock and Giant Hogsbane are the problem ones. Wild Cow Parsnip is only harmful if you're rubbing the sap against yourself. Giant Hogsbane is the one that causes rashes and painful blisters. However, they all look the same, so I forgive your confusion, but I don't want people eliminating plants that don't need eliminating.

 

What's worse than wild parsnip?

[Mr.Yuck]

I'm not making this up. How could I make this up? Here is Peter Gabriel (With Genesis) singing about Giant Hogweed, circa 1972:

 

 

 

I hope the OP doesn't think I'm being a smart aleck, since they are very new to Geocaching. Perhaps Hogsbane is a highly regional term in your area? I use Bing as my primary search engine on every computer, mainly to earn Microsoft points for my 13 year old kid's Xbox. But I get like 8 results, and nothing about a noxious plant. I tried Google too, and there's just nothing there.

[4wheelin_fool]

This is the fourth or fifth thread about giant hogweed. The last one that popped up, I linked to the others but somehow missed this one which is 6 years old.

[4wheelin_fool]

This is the fourth or fifth thread about giant hogweed. The last one that popped up, I linked to the others but somehow missed this one which is 6 years old.

[4wheelin_fool]

This is the fourth or fifth thread about giant hogweed. The last one that popped up, I linked to the others but somehow missed this one which is 6 years old.

[+SwineFlew]

3 same posts for a 6 years old zombies thread. :)Congrats!

[+duncanhoyle]

This plant seems to have rejuvenated this topic after 6 years dormancy...

 

Yes, we do have Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum - just so we're all talking about the same thing) in the UK - Not loads of it, but it is around, I've seen it a few times. It's an impressive plant... just admire it from a few feet away.

 

I don't know if we have wild parsnips, or even slightly exuberant parsnips - I'll find out about them.

 

I'm in the UK too, and it's also possible to get burns of common hogweed, although it's not that usual and possibly depends on a person's sensitivity to it. I have a couple of small scars on my arm after moving piles of grass that contained it. I know of another person who suffered similarly.

It hurts like hell!

[Mr.Yuck]

This is the fourth or fifth thread about giant hogweed. The last one that popped up, I linked to the others but somehow missed this one which is 6 years old.

 

I apparently missed the others. But hey, you got to see a long-haired, bearded Phil Collins before he took over and ruined Genesis. How cool is that?

[+oxford comma]

What's worse than wild parsnip?

 

and worse yet are Flesh Eating Wild Parsnips

[4wheelin_fool]

This is the fourth or fifth thread about giant hogweed. The last one that popped up, I linked to the others but somehow missed this one which is 6 years old.

 

I apparently missed the others. But hey, you got to see a long-haired, bearded Phil Collins before he took over and ruined Genesis. How cool is that?

 

You missed the others by posting in them?

 

I also thought that Genesis was an excellent band with Phil Collins, until I saw that video which was mildly disturbing, as well as the last few seconds that caused some abdominal distress.

 

I'll post this in an attempt to offset it.

 

Edited August 25, 2012 by 4wheelin_fool

[Mr.Yuck]

This is the fourth or fifth thread about giant hogweed. The last one that popped up, I linked to the others but somehow missed this one which is 6 years old.

 

I apparently missed the others. But hey, you got to see a long-haired, bearded Phil Collins before he took over and ruined Genesis. How cool is that?

 

You missed the others by posting in them?

 

I also thought that Genesis was an excellent band with Phil Collins, until I saw that video which was mildly disturbing, as well as the last few seconds that caused some abdominal distress.

 

I'll post this in an attempt to offset it.

 

 

Oh no, I thought you meant the guy bumped multiple Giant Hogweed threads. Heck yes, I post in them every time. Like I say, when I started caching, and first heard about it, it was confined to New York, Ontario and Washington State. You have to see this stuff in person, it's just a bizarre looking plant that gives you the heebie jeebies just looking at it from 20 feet away.

 

I could show you some seriously disturbing 1970's videos, not just Genesis. Yes, Turn it on again is much more mainstream, along with a much more clean-cut and mainstream looking band. The offset was successful.

[+Doctroid]

My wife's aunt was employed a couple years ago exterminating giant hogweed. Full hazmat suits in spite of which she got a massive burn on her leg. Blog entry with yuck-inducing photos: http://www.mumblingmountain.com/?p=538.