Rice County Deciding How to Handle Yellow Parsnip Spread

After the Rice County Board of Commissioners work session Tuesday I was waiting to ask highway engineer Dennis Luebbe to be a guest on Wednesday's AM Minnesota program when one of the commissioners asked Luebbe if he had received any complaints of yellow parsnip in ditches.

Luebbe said some of the Highway Department workers had learned the hard way about the pain these wildflowers or weeds can cause.

"They say it's worse than poison ivy." Luebbe said.

In reading about it a bit, it appears that yellow parsnip (wild parsnip) contains chemicals in the juices of its green leaves, stems and fruits that can cause an intense localized burn. It's like a sunburn and can blister.

Wild parsnip looks harmless enough. This non-native weed is originally from Europe and Asia and grows in large patches along roadsides, in abandoned fields, on pastures and restored prairies.

It's been growing like crazy, and this year the conditions must be just perfect for it to grow. Wild parsnip can take over an area.

As I understand it, the plant's chemical uses a combination of a person's sweat and sunlight to activate and cause the inflammation. The process destroys cells and skin tissue and takes a couple of days to appear. Plant experts believe the chemical is a defense mechanism for the plant. In mild cases the skin reddens and feels like sunburn but in more severe cases, the skin reddens first and then blisters appear.

Luebbe told commissioners there isn't enough money to spray all the ditches in the county for this painful yet delightful looking weed, and mowing the ditches takes a lot of man hours away from other projects.