General Discussion & Chat: Best/Worse/What did I learn today?Chat with friends old/new, 1 by taters55

taters55 wrote:
This is what I found on the poison parsnip.

Although this is the same plant as the common garden parsnip we eat in soups and stews, the flower heads are the second year growth from the carrot-like roots. It is a close relative of carrots, parsley, angelica, and giant hogweed, all of which can cause similar skin reactions in sensitive individuals.

Wild parsnips produce a sap, or plant juice, that can cause burns to the skin in the presence of sunlight. In some cases, the burns are similar to second-degree sunburns, and can cause painful rashes and raised blisters.

The Department of Health advises people to avoid the sap or juice produced by the wild parsnip. Avoid skin and eye contact with this sap. If you need to work with the plant:

http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/outdoor/wildparsnip.aspx