Last week, I promised that we would look at poisonous plants that are found here in the Keystone State. Of course, the Big Three, poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are the ones that come immediately to mind. Some of the ones we are about to examine, however, put them to shame.
An incredibly dangerous plant is the giant hogweed. Native to the Caucasus region in Europe, it is considered an invasive species here in the United States. Sadly, Pennsylvania, in fact, Western Pennsylvania, is one of the prime areas in which this huge plant, which can get as tall as sixteen feet can be found.
Just what is so bad about this plant. For one thing, contact can produce horrific blisters, as shown in the photo, taken from the Daily Mail, of the hands of a woman who came into contact with the sap. The blisters can reach the size of an orange. On top of all that, once the blisters go away, the affected area usually becomes extremely sensitive to sunlight, exposure to which can cause severe pain and even a recurrence of the blisters. As if that weren’t enough, if the sap comes into contact with the eyes, it can cause blindness.
If you come into contact with this behemoth, the first rule is, obviously, do not touch it. If you decide to remove it from your property yourself, make sure that you are totally covered with protective clothing. There are professionals thoroughly trained in dealing with hogweed. If the need ever arises, I will contact one of them. It’s a DIY project that, at least to me, is not worth the risk. Ironically, the giant hogweed is a member of the carrot family.
Next up is poison hemlock. Most of us heard of this one in History class. It was, of course, the means by which the Greek philosopher Socrates was executed. This one is found mainly on roadsides, in fields and wet areas. All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. To make matters worse, it can produce a nasty reaction on the skin. Especially if it’s young, it can be mistaken for Queen Anne’s lace. When removing it, essentially the same precautions must be taken as with poison ivy, oak or sumac. Exposed skin should be covered. Don’t forget gloves.
The nightshade, or belladonna is yet another highly toxic plant, and it is widespread in this state. All parts of the plant are toxic. The berries, in particular, are appealing to young children, as they look delicious. Just one or two could kill a small child.
In the future, we’ll look at some more poisonous plants found in Pennsylvania.
Of course, we are now into the “dog days” of August. The name derives from the old belief that dogs had a greater tendency to go mad this month. Because of this, a variety of other superstitions have sprung up. Before the discovery of the Salk vaccine, polio gripped the country with fear. It seemed to occur the most often during the dog days, although no real evidence exists to connect the two. The foam that gathers in creeks and streams was also believed to be dangerous in a variety of ways, including harboring the polio virus. Many anglers believed that members of the pike family, such as northern pike, musky and pickerel lost their teeth at this time of year, and couldn’t eat until they grew new ones. You have to wonder how some of these beliefs get started.
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