Q and A: Why Doesn't Iowa Do Something About Wild Parsnip?
Blog Post
Question: If the state and county are so concerned about wild parsnip, why aren’t they out spraying it? The ditches and county roads are full of it.1
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Another bumper year for wild parsnip
Blog Post
Wild parsnip is a biennial that was introduced to North America by the earliest European colonists, it is documented to have been grown in Virginia as early as 1609 as a food crop. In his 1913 book The Weed Flora of Iowa, L. H. Pammel described wild parsnip as ‘common on roadsides in every part of Iowa.’ Thus, this weed is not new to our state. I think it is safe to say that populations in roadsides and other low-maintenance areas of Iowa have gradually increased over the past 30 years.
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Wild parsnip
Mowing requires management to be effective
Blog Post
The current epidemic of wild parsnip has garnered much attention due to the toxins present in the plant. Since wild parsnip is a biennial, mowing is often recommended as a control option. The theory is that by preventing seed production, mowing can eliminate future infestations. In practice, its a little more complicated than simply mowing when convenient; mowing needs to be timed properly in order to be effective.
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Are the 2016 wild parsnip infestations the new normal for Iowa?
Blog Post
Wild parsnip is a biennial that was introduced to North America by the earliest European colonists, it is documented to have been grown in Virginia as early as 1609. In his 1913 book The Weed Flora of Iowa, L. H. Pammel described wild parsnip as ‘common on roadsides in every part of Iowa.’ Thus, this weed is not new to our state. I think it is safe to say that populations in roadsides and other low-maintenance areas of Iowa have gradually increased over the past 30 years.
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Fields (and roadsides) of gold
Blog Post
Plants with yellow flowers are a common sight in roadsides and other grassy areas as one drives across Iowa at this time of year. There's a good chance these plants are one of the weedy mustards (wild mustard, yellow rocket, hedge mustard, etc.), golden alexander, or wild parsnip. The mustards are more likely to be found in disturbed areas where the sod is not very competitive than the other yellow flowered plants.
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Wild parsnip toxicity - Today's fun fact
Blog Post
Wild parsnip is an invasive plant commonly found in roadsides, pastures, restored prairies and other areas with full sun and minimal disturbance. It is a biennial that forms a rosette with 'celery-like leaves' (Fig. 1.) and an umbel with yellow flowers (Fig. 2). It contains a class of chemicals (furocoumarins) that cause a skin rash known as phytophotodermatis, sometimes called parsnip burn. The response is caused by the chemical hypersensitizing skin to UV light, thus persons only develop the rash if they remain in the sunlight following exposure.
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Beware of a Dangerous Invasive Weed -- Updated
ICM News
By Mike Owen, Department of Agronomy
Upon further investigation about the location of “local” infestations of the highly invasive giant hogweed, it was determined that the Wisconsin location is in Iron County which is located at the northern boundary between Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (see colored area on the map). Gogebic County, Michigan also has or had infestations of giant hogweed. The U.S. Forest Service is working diligently to eradicate these populations.
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Weed watch: Wild parsnip and poison hemlock
Encyclopedia Article
Conditions the last few years have been especially favorable for two weeds in the parsnip family--wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) and poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). Wild parsnip and poison hemlock are non-native plants that originated in Europe. The edible roots of wild parsnip were consumed in ancient Greece and Rome while poison hemlock was used as a poison, most notably known as the poison that killed Socrates. Both can pose health hazards that many people may not be aware of.
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