Caution: Potentially Dangerous Plant Is Growing In ND

A Toxic Plant

There's an invasive species of plants growing across the state that could land you in the emergency room. Currently, it's found mostly in the eastern part of the state in the Red River Valley, but in recent years it has crept its way across the state and has now been documented in central North Dakota as well. According to NDSU, this bright yellow plant is becoming a growing problem and has been documented in both Ward and Burleigh Counties. Here's a look at this bright, but potentially dangerous flower.

RuudMorijn

Introducing Wild Parsnip

Not to be confused with cultivated parsnip, which is bred for large, sweet roots in gardens, where wild parsnip grows uncontrollably in fields and ditches, and not to mention has a much higher level of sap toxicity that can cause dangerous skin-irritating chemicals.

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How dangerous, enough so to land you in the hospital. If the sap from wild parsnip lands on your skin, it could cause severe skin burns and blisters when exposed to sunlight. YIKES.

Currently in Bloom

Parsnip grows pretty tall (up to 5 feet tall) and has grooved, hollow green stems and flat-topped clusters of tiny yellow flowers that bloom until late August. The wild parsnip can sometimes be confused with the Golden Alexander, but it is shorter, only reaching 1 to 3 feet. You can also find the Golden Alexander across prairie meadows in rural North Dakota, and it is not dangerous.

As somebody who spends a lot of time in the country fishing and hunting across North Dakota, I have become very aware of wild parsnip and making sure my dogs stay away from it in the fields. Yes, parsnip can be bad for your four-legged friends as well. Something to keep in mind the next time you're enjoying the North Dakota countryside.