Most people know there are some plants that come with a little something extra – a dangerous and dark side, so here’s a reminder to ‘handle with care’.
Let’s begin with pokeweed, a tall, red-stemmed, large leaved perennial weed of damp roadsides. The purple berries that hang in drooping clusters, following pretty white flowers, are ripening as we head into September. All parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested, but it was a disposal method that got a friend into trouble – weed-whacking! Instead of cutting the plants off at the base and leaving them to shrivel, he pulverized them into submission and emerged covered in plant debris and sap. He thinks some of the debris infected a cut he had on his hand and he wound up in the hospital with red streaks running up his arm and suffering respiratory distress. Many of my books list dermatitis as a problem due to contact with pokeweed, but as with most things, there is a silver lining concerning this plant; one of the highly toxic chemicals found in pokeweed is being tested for properties that may be useful in treating cancer and HIV.
Next on my list of wonderfully wicked weeds is Giant Hogweed – a Hollywood-style horror! Everything about this plant is super-sized, even its scientific name – Heracleum mantegazzianum! It produces 20,000 seeds per plant, it can quickly crowd out all other plants in its path, it can grow to 15 feet tall, some of its leaves can measure 5 feet in width and the compound flower-head can reach up to 2.5 feet in diameter! There is little to doubt in the identification of a mature plant, but the earlier stages are very confusing. As this is a member of the carrot family it may take 2 or 3 years to mature, but after it flowers and sets seed it dies; the confusing part is that in the early stages of its life it may have many differing leaf shapes making certain identification harder. Giant hogweed is on the federal noxious weed list and there are efforts underway to eradicate this highly dangerous plant. This is something best left to the experts as exposure to the sap of Giant hogweed can cause severe photodermatitis – the sap on the skin when exposed to sunlight can cause 3rd degree burns, and if the eye is involved, blindness may occur. This is one seriously malignant plant, and I have been unable to discover any silver linings, but initially it was introduced from Eurasia as an ornamental – what were they thinking…
Last in my trio of holy terrors is a flower one could hardly suspect of being hazardous to your health – the non-native, but still beautiful yellow Iris or yellow flag as it’s sometimes called. Under favorable conditions it can become invasive, and has been banned in some states, but its cautionary status is because of the possibility of severe dermatitis from the sap, and if ingested may cause nausea, high temperature, abdominal pain and severe purging.
Although I doubt anyone is planning on making an Iris leaf salad, here’s what happened to a friend who ran afoul of Iris in another fashion. She was dividing a clump; placed the clump in a bucket having already trimmed back the leaves. Upon lifting the plant from the bucket she grazed her arm on a leaf edge sustaining some splinters. Severe swelling occurred, pain, infection and red stripes running up the arm. The medical profession was stymied and denied the presence of splinters, but in a couple of days ‘bits’ began emerging from the scrape. With whatever medications the medics prescribed and natural healing, my friend is much better now! The culprit was a cardiac glycoside – Irisin, contained in all Iris varieties – wear gloves when handling this plant!
In conclusion – one more plug for the Master Gardener Training – if you would like to be involved call Quentin Stocum at 726-0022…Please!
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