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Wisconsin counties wage war on Wild Parsnip

Two of Wisconsin’s counties have waged war on a problem weed.  The weed is Wild Parsnip and it is not on the state’s noxious weed list.  County Conservationist Shane Wucherpfenig tells Brownfield Wood and Portage Counties are working together, “passing county-wide resolutions to declare it a noxious weed within our county boundaries, so we are the only two counties in the State of Wisconsin right now that have officially done this and are aggressively going after this plant.”

Wucherpfenig says the plant is often found in ditches and parks, and causes serious human and animal injuries.  “It’s an oil, and once you get in contact with it on your skin, it photosynthasizes in the sun so you actually get that photochemical reaction, and that’s when things go south real quick.  Literally, in most cases, you will end up with a hospital visit.”

Wucherpfennig says Wild Parsnip can be controlled chemically with products like 2-4-D, but it can also be controlled by mowing if done before seeds are produced.  “If you can do that protocol for three to four years, you’re probably going to get a pretty good reduction, almost an elimination of the plant in that particular area.”

He says collaboration between the counties, townships, multi-county co-ops, mowing crews, and highway departments is the key to stopping Wild Parsnip, and they are encouraging people to call in to report locations where the plant is found.  The sites are being recorded on a GIS satellite mapping system so they can follow up on treated sites in the future.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website can help with identifying the plant.

Wucherpfennig says Wild Parsnip was originally brought from Europe as a decorative plant but says it is an invasive statewide problem.

The county weed commissioner has the authority to control the plant on both public and private property.