Monday, June 01, 2015

KILLER PLANTS!





So, I was supPOSed to take the foster cats back to the rescue yesterday, but that didn't happen, so I went shlepping out in the woods instead.

Oh, it was a dark day, totally different from Saturday, which was bright and warm and sunny.



But the woods were full of wildflowers.








I walked a snowmobile trail:







and found these pretty, lacy flowers.






But then ... BUT THEN ... I came across something that I'd only seen in pictures before ...





Dun dun dunnnnnnn ...





GIANT HOGWEED.  (cue foreboding music here.)





Giant hogweed is extremely poisonous.  Like, kill-you-dead poisonous.  Needless to say, I gave it a wide berth, seeing as how I can break out in a rash just looking at poison ivy. 

Once I got done walking, I had to go and get some soft-serve.  Just to soothe my giant-hogweed-rattled nerves, dontcha know.

And to ADD to the "odd things always happen to me" file, on Saturday, I had a half a loaf of stale bread to get rid of, so I tossed it into the brushland behind the back yard for the birds.

A little while later, I saw a FOX running across the back yard with a slice of bread in his mouth.

Because ... foxes need carbs?  Yeah, I have no idea.  It's just Wild Kingdom run amok all over the place around here.













8 comments:

the queen said...

Look up the giant hogweed video on YouTube if you don't know it already. I think it's early Genesis, pre-Phil Collins.

~~Silk said...

Many state governments have been trying to eradicate giant hogweed wherever it's found, whenever people report it. I don't know to whom you report it --- maybe a county enviromental department? Thanks for the reminder, I'll alert Daughter, I can just see Nugget picking the pretty flowers on one of their rambles.

rockygrace said...

Holy crap, queen, what did I just watch?! I'll bet that would sound really great if I was high ... I remember hearing the "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" album for the first time when I was a teen and having my mind blown. Ha.

and ~~Silk, yep, here in New York you're supposed to report it to the DEC. Here's a link to the website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/39809.html

The spot where I was hiking is a pretty popular area, so I'm sure it's already been reported. I was kind of surprised that they hadn't already burned it down or something.

~~Silk said...

Don't assume it's been reported.
- Everyone else may have assumed that,
- Not everyone would recognize it,
- Many people wouldn't take the time anyway.
Be the hero. Offer to burn it yourself - that might get action. ("Eek! We've got a freak!")

rockygrace said...

~~Silk, guess what? I DID report it to the DEC, and they said it's NOT Giant Hogweed, it's Angelica! (whatever THAT is.) Live and learn!

~~Silk said...

Good. On closer inspection of your photo and consultation with my Peterson Guide, yes, I think the leaves do say Angelica. For future reference, I found a wonderful site on NY and Giant Hogweed: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/39809.html

Scroll down a little there, and you'll find maps of sites of where GH has been found, where it has been eradicated, where it's being monitored, etc. Also a link to a poster they want to people to print and put up everywhere, and other neat stuff.

~~Silk said...

P.S. Angelica is delicious - the coiled new leave bunches in early spring, boiled and buttered. That was one of the things we found in the foraging class. I think you'd enjoy foraging - check your local educational whatevers for adult fun classes. It'll be handy information for when the economy crashes for good.

~~Silk said...

Leaf bunches. LEAF!