Strange plant in the Knautia patch

Jun 10, 2005 2 Replies

Could anyone identify this volunteer in my garden please? It's probably a weed but I've never seen it before.



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It looks like it could be wild parsnip. But it might be some other member of the Parsley family, many of which are poisonous. (This plant family is notorious for the many members which can cause photosentivity when the sap gets on your skin, so handle with caution.)

It definitely looks like wild parsnip to me. It is a very dangerous weed and should be on the noxious weed list. It is far worse than poison ivy. I had some in a wooded area behind my house. I sprayed it with poison ivy killer several times and then covered the area with black plastic.

This URL has photos of wild parsnip and the severity of burns it causes.

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