Iowa officials are warning Midwestern resident about plant, called wild parsnip, that can cause burns and blisters.
Jamey Dunn talked with Illinois Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris Young about the plant, and how you can protect yourself from it and other irritating plants when you are outside this summer.
“Wild parsnip is a very very common plant that you can find along roadsides, fence rows. … It’s not a native Illinois species. Basically it’s a weed,” Young says. “The sap in the plant can cause burns or blisters on the skin.”
Young says people working outside weeding or gardening should always wear gloves. “It’s really easy, even if you know the plants, to daydream a little bit, and pretty soon, you’ve pulled up a plant that maybe you shouldn’t.”
You can find more information about wild parsnips here.
