Re: Wild parsnip
- Subject: Re: Wild parsnip
- From: t*@molalla.net
- Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 00:18:51 -0700
Here in Oregon we have what is called the "Giant Hogweed" which is
sometimes confused with "Cow Parsnip" which is much smaller.. I would
imagine that is the plant you are referring to? I haven't the scientific name
yet..
Here is the story which was on our local news station..
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Ag Department Steps Up Battle Against Hogweed
July 24, 2001, 01:30 PM
Specialists used machetes to chop down a small forest of a plant called
Giant Hogweed growing in clumps near Reed College, one of five
confirmed sites of the aggressive plant in the Portland metro area,
Eugene and Oakridge.
The weeds, which can grow to a height of 15 feet, contain a sticky sap
that can cause blisters and leave dark purple scars. Specialists working
with the Department of Agriculture also used herbicide to kill 70 invasive
plants near the college in southeast Portland.
Two years ago, some of the plants taught Sandi Rolfe a painful lesson.
Sap from one of the plants left a two-inch scar on her foot.
“It feels like a burn, like you burned yourself on an element of a stove,”
she said. “It’s not like a sunburn. It’s more like a burning from a fire or
heat.”
Hogweed is sometimes confused with cow parsnip, which is a much
smaller plant. The Department of Agriculture, however, is investigating
some unconfirmed sightings of hogweed – including one in Forest Park.
Specialists advise people not to touch the hogweed if they spot it. And
they recommend that people call the Department of Agriculture for
advice on how to control it.
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