Be on the lookout for harmful plants
The City of Oshawa is advising residents to be cautious of plants such as wild parsnip, pictured here, and cow parsnip. The two plants are toxic and can lead to skin and eye irritation, with the plant’s sap making the skin prone to severe burns and blisters from the sun.
Summer tends to bring out plant life of all types. Unfortunately, some of them can prove to be harmful to people and their pets.
The City of Oshawa is advising residents to be on the lookout for wild parsnip and cow parsnip.
Wild parsnip and cow parsnip may look like colourful wildflowers, but are actually toxic, containing a sap that can cause skin and eye irritation and make the skin prone to severe burns and blisters when exposed to the sun. Symptoms typically occur within 48 hours and consist of painful blisters. Purplish scars may form, and can last for years.
With these two plants currently flowering in Ontario, residents are advised to not touch or pick the flowers from them and to warn children about them.
Wild parsnip is a tall plant with yellow flowers, while cow parsnip is a tall plant with larger white flowers, and are mainly found alongside the edges of parks, open spaces, trails and roadsides.
For more information, please call the Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711.