Wild Parsnip

Can you eat it?

I hear ya PETE. It really is that bad. No exaggeration here. This stuff is kind of like the plague hitting Wisconsin. Combine that with invasive buckthorn and honeysuckle and a host of other prevalent nasty invasives and we have big problems. I wonder if other states are in a similar situation as far as how invasives are taking over their state. The problems are spreading like wildfire, most people are unaware of what's going on, and there's virtually no $ to combat such issues. The state is well aware of the issues...I've been to many seminars. There's just no good solution. Even those landowners wishing to tackle this stuff practically need an army to combat some of this stuff.

Too bad you didn't post that picture on here before you sprayed, Flipper.

I would not be mixing chemicals like that.

Lesser version of the parsnip Queens Anne's lace can burn you too, just don't put out as much juice.. I was told that it's the juice actually causing a chemical burn which is photo reactive. In other words sunlight reacts with the juice and you get chemical burn on your skin. So it's not like a poison ivy deal where your body actually physically react to the oil from the plant..
I remember there was a big deal made about wild parsnip some years back.. Kinda like the purple loosestrife flash in the pan got quickly forgotten.... Maybe some them mountain biker kids riding the trails need to get into some for someone to get excited again.. Give bunch of them string trimmers to clear it out wearing shorts and flip flops.. Might loose a few but could use the old if it save one child thing on them..Be a big campaign get rid of it then I bet..

Mac

Is this the stuff that looks like giant queen Anne's? I came across a patch the other day. Because of the stories ive heard I went well wide.

If ya spray or mow it, ya want to do it at the right time of year.

Now I seem to have giant hogweed on my ditchline. I think I took care of it today, but it'll be back because my neighbor does nothing to it. What do you think is worse: wild parsnip or giant hogweed?

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/GiantHogweed.html

It seems like the townships around here want to spread it. They wait until the seeds are mature and then go through with the rotary mower and drag the seeds down the road a little farther. I would think that an old fashioned sickle mower, before it seeds, out would be a better choice.

It seems like the townships around here want to spread it. They wait until the seeds are mature and then go through with the rotary mower and drag the seeds down the road a little farther. I would think that an old fashioned sickle mower, before it seeds, out would be a better choice.

Is there a difference between wild parsnip and common parsnip In the garden? I can't see one looking at pictures.

Spraying an area with herbicide kills everything and leaves an easy area for invasives to get a foothold. Best to target what you want to get rid of directly and minimize collateral damage.

Wild parsnip is native here and behaves well, but I've been battling the invasive giant hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi) for a few years now. There's a "runaway" population spreading here, mosty along trails and dirt roads. Unlike the wild parsnip, they live for several years, and aren't very sensitive to glyphosate, especially where there's total infestation. The same concentration kills the invasive Canadian goldenrod easily. I remove all plants where there are few of them, by cutting them below the growth point with a knife or a small spade. Where the soil is soft, it's possible to just pull out whole young plants. Where there are too many of them, I only destroy the old flowering plants in the last year of their last cycle. I chop the flower heads off with a big knife or a machete, and also chop the stalk up into several sections. If you don't chop up the stalk, it seals itself and has enough energy to produce flowers and seeds autonomously, especially in wet weather, because even green seeds germinate well. I also remove the bud at the base of the lowest leaf because it often sprouts after the stalk is removed, and manages to produce some flowers and seeds until the snow.

I also only handle the plants at dusk or on overcast days, to avoid burns, and carry some water with me to wash away the juice when it sprays. I've also learned that the best way to treat furanocumarin burns is with antibiotic powder, such as Baneocin, it works much better than most ointments and keeps the scalds dry.

Here's a pic from last night:

People get the two plants confused...

The gaint hog weed is the one that causes the problems .

Each year I am noticing it spread further away from roads

This article serves as a good reminder to stay clear of this nasty invasive. In my area the best way to control it is to spray it with brush grade Roundup between 6/15 & 6/30.
It doesn't grow in the woods.
http://www.weau.com/content/news/Local-experts-warn-of-wild-parsnip-dangers--488762051.html

I sprayed round 2 of wild parsnip yesterday (taking care of what I missed the 1st time a couple weeks ago).

https://ipcm.wisc.edu/blog/2016/07/wild-parsnip-an-expanding-problem-along-roadsides-in-wisconsin/

Mowing too late in the season can spread seed causing more damage than good. Neighbor hired someone to mow his CRP last year and now it's worse than ever. Seemed the guy never cleaned off his mower before coming by and spread seed from the last cutting all over. Now he has a real mess on his hands!