Cow Parsnip, the other evil weed

I am hoping for a little information on Cow Parsnip, To start could someone post a good picture here for the discussion. Cow Parsnip is often alleged to be the 2nd year of a Volunteer
plant that is now a very invasive plant here and now, handling it can cause a nasty rash made worse initially, and all through the recovery cycle by exposure to sunlight ! SO_

1) I want to hear how others are dealing with/handling this invasive Weed
2) What other animals are sensitive to this plant
3 Can Pigs safely root out this plant, will they eat it, any stories !
4)Are there other animals that can safely deal with this 2nd year Hazard ? any stories ?

Chop and Drop hardly seems safe here, cutting the plant off at ground level is labor intensive and needs repeating, Hauling it away to be burned or composted are both imperfect
solutions how are others handling this plant ?

A new permies member is moving to this area where this has become well established, and I would like to be more prepared to help him find and identify this Volunteer plant before
he tangles with it by accident ! Thanks and remember -

As always, your Comments and questions are solicited and are welcome ! Think like Fire ! Flow like a Gas ! Don't be the Marshmallow PYRO -Logical Big AL

Eat your enemies! http://www.laurieconstantino.com/wild-edibles-how-to-harvest-and-cook-cow-parsnip-greens/

R.H. Thanks, I also want to add that i know about the Poisonous relatives that 'Cow Parsnip' gets confused with, I'm Concerned about dealing with this weed safely ! Big Al

It is listed as endangered in Kentucky . I would like to re-introduce it . Anyone have any seed ? We have alot of Queen Annes Lace. Blooms all summer. It may be called invasive but it blends in well with pasture and volunteers in fruit tree guilds. One man's invasive pest is another man's welcome guest.

Allen, I've had a very nasty run-in with cow parsnip's cousin, giant hogweed.
The whole phototoxicity, hideous blisters etc etc.
From what I've seen online, reactions to cow parsnip are pretty rare. Do you know people who have had problems with it?
Most stuff says wearing gloves, long sleeves and washing after should be plenty.
Here's a link, dunno how reliable it is.

Wayne Stephen : Be careful what you wish for, if you react to poison ivy, oak, or sumac it is practically guaranteed that you will react to this family of plants, if you are sensitive
to those plants, you can end up with long term effects not the least is an flame pattered increase in pigmentation in the area affected long after the rash or blisters resolve them-
selves.

Using a Weed Whacker can aerosolize the plant juices making them an inhalation hazard !

Not only does this exist as Giant Hogweed, Cow Parsnip, and Wild parsnip, but this member of the Carrot Family also looks like poison Water hemlock and several useful herbs !

Leila Rich : We have all three kinds, our State Dept. of Environmental Conservation only spends resources and time on the Giant hog weed, Where this has grown up in the packed
stones and gravel on the sides of the Road, several years of summer roadside mowing, and winter roadside plowing has spread this weed so that in places its like you were down
in the grove of a giant tongue and grove landscape ! And now, the private contractors that bid on the roadside mowing jobs are quitting in droves !

We've just recently had some issues with the Giant Hogweed here in Maine. People are mistaking it for huge (6-8foot) Queen Annes Lace. Then they end up in the ER with the terrible rash. The state asked people to report locations of them so that it can be tracked and managed. ie Sought and Destroyed.

-'' The use of unnecessary force is Authorized'' Yah, this whole family needs more time in the spotlight ! Thanks for the input ! Big AL !

I am currently trying to get a definitive ID on what I believe to be common hogweed. I know it is NOT giant hogweed. I was initially concerned about potential confusion with water hemlock - basically I've just avoided all umbilefers because I'm scared of hemlock, but hemlock and hogweed leaves look totally different. It does seem like cow parsnip and hogweed are similar though, and I have been told that they can bear a resemblance to wild angelica. However cow parsnip, common hogweed, and angelica are all useful, non-toxic plants. It is recommended that you wear gloves to harvest hogweed, but the photosensitivity is relatively rare and mild - nothing like giant hogweed. I have not heard of anyone having a reaction like that to cow parsnip or other umbilefers.

Renate Howard wrote:Eat your enemies! http://www.laurieconstantino.com/wild-edibles-how-to-harvest-and-cook-cow-parsnip-greens/

Here's a couple pics from that link:

I have tried everything to eradicate this from our 150 acre farm. The sap contains furanocoumarins which when they come.into contact with the skin and then exposed to sunlight  can cause painful blisters and a discolored rash. I feel like it's demonized due to this but have recently discovered that the roots are edible, and actually consumed some last night and enjoyed them. Identification is key and use of the Latin name is helpful when looking for information as literally everyone confuses these plants. These plants are biennial unless they drop their seeds so from what I've learned the best way to eradicate is to either dig them up from the root or to carefully collect the flowers before they seed which is more dangerous as they are larger and there is a higher likelihood of sap exposure. Wearing gloves should go without saying but Please do and if you get sap on you ( I have multiple times) it isn't an immediate effect like nettles or poison ivy it takes 24-48 hours for it to develop. Rinse the effected area with water, and keep it covered from the sun. I also have used a jewel weed poultice to relieve the burn, it doesn't get rid of the blisters or discoloration though.

Hi Amber,

Welcome to Permies.