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Beware the invasive, nasty wild parsnip

It looks very pretty alongside roadsides and fields, like Queen Anne’s lace but with brighter green stems and flat, round flower tops of daffodil yellow rather than white.

As with road signs, yellow should signal caution with wild parsnip.

This benign-looking invasive species packs a juice that can blister skin when exposed to sun.

Which means anyone who wanders through wild parsnip might not immediately realize they’re at risk until sunlight emerges and the “phytophotodermatitis” reaction happens, experts say.

Those exposed to the plant who develop a rash, burns and blisters should cover the affected area with a cool, wet cloth and seek medical attention. The blisters can leave brownish pigmentation that lasts for months, even years, experts say.

This invasive plant has become increasingly common across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, said Hiawatha National Forest’s East Zone Botanist Stephanie Blumer.

“The key for outdoors enthusiasts,” she said, “is to learn to recognize this plant so that when you see it, you can avoid it.”

Travelers who turn onto on M-69 east in Dickinson County will recognize it — it’s on both sides of the highway until the north branch of the Sturgeon River.

It’s also visible in large areas of neighboring Florence County in Wisconsin. A perennial that was originally brought in by settlers for cultivation, this Eurasian species continues to spread throughout the region.

Wild parsnip can thrive in various growing conditions, including dry, moist, and even wet open areas. It can spread rapidly through seeds carried by the wind, vehicles, equipment and water. The seeds themselves typically are large, slightly yellow, ribbed, flat and round.

They are produced September through November, after which the plant will die. Yet the seeds can survive in the soil for up to four years, making total eradications difficult, experts said.

So beware this pretty plant that carries a nasty defense to being cut or picked.

For more information on wild parsnip, contact the local Forest Service botanist at 906-387-2512, ext. 20, or 906-643-7900.

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