Wild Parsnip Nasty stuff

[GolfAddict]

It sounds like the nastiness of these two are nearly identical to each other.

Wild parsnip - Invasive species: Minnesota DNR

 

[oosik]

ICK!! This thread had me doing some heavy looking. Luckily the Giant Hogweed is only in Western WA and the Wild Parsnip is more than two counties away in all directions. Strange, I've been here 32 years and never heard a peep about either of these plants. We have acres of Cow Parsnips & Queen Ann's Lace, and my downfall - - poison oak.

 

[Mousefield]

We have had it for many years on the west coast of Canada and Vancouver island.If you get the sap in or near your eyes it could cause blindness. They are trying to get rid of it but it is a long slow process.

 

[JamesHW]

Never run into the stuff but thanks for the heads up. That said, despite never really being sensitive to Urushiol, I recently experienced a bad rash from poison ivy on my knee (soaked through my jeans when I knelt in a patch) that spread to my arm. Nothing was helping when we discovered a product called Zanfel, a scrub you rub on the rash that made the itching go away and start the healing process. Expensive stuff (like over $40 for a small tube) and the local drug store was always out of it, so I ordered extra of both products from Amazon (Zanfel & Mean Green). Technu also makes a scrub and there is a much less expensive product called Mean Green which is supposed to be almost the same thing and is also good for cleaning hands of oil or grease). I think the reason it works so well is it satisfies the desire to itch the affected area when you scrub with the product (gritty feeling is from microscopic plastic beads) and the relief it provided was almost immediate. Just wish I had found it a couple of days earlier and my rash would have been far less severe.

 

[oosik]

That's good info James. On the rare occasion that I make contact with poison oak - its ALWAYS been a trip to the Dr for prescription meds. I'm deathly alergic to poison oak. No poison sumac or poison ivy at this location, fortunately. I have permanent scars from previous contact with poison oak.