At first glance, it’s easy to mistake wild parsnip for just another prairie wildflower. By mid-June, its broad clusters of bright yellow blooms catch the summer sun and stand shoulder high along roadsides, bike trails and streambanks across much of Minnesota. This flower is one of Minnesota’s most problematic invasive plants, displacing native vegetation and leaving painful burns on anyone unlucky enough to brush against it.

This summer, a dedicated group of outdoor enthusiasts has taken on the challenge of trying to help control wild parsnip. For volunteers with Minnesota Trout Unlimited’s Twin Cities Chapter (TCTU), the work has become an important part of caring for the streams they love.

A plant that shouldn’t be here

Like most invasives, wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) didn’t arrive in Minnesota by accident. Native to Europe and Asia, it was intentionally brought to North America hundreds of years ago as both a garden vegetable and livestock forage. Like many introduced plants, it eventually escaped cultivation. Over time, it spread into roadsides, prairies, old fields and stream corridors, where it now flourishes across much of the Upper Midwest.

The plant is particularly successful in disturbed areas, making riparian corridors especially vulnerable. Floods, trail construction, utility work and even successful habitat restoration projects can create openings where invasive species quickly establish without a plan to control them.

Once established, wild parsnip forms dense stands that crowd out native grasses and wildflowers. That loss of plant diversity affects pollinators, wildlife and the overall health of streamside ecosystems that trout depend upon.

Then there’s also the danger to people – especially anglers! The plant’s sap contains naturally occurring compounds called furanocoumarins. When the sap contacts skin and is exposed to sunlight, it can trigger a chemical reaction known as phytophotodermatitis, resulting in severe burns, blistering and skin discoloration that may linger for weeks or even months. If your skin comes into contact while fishing or otherwise, rinse well with water right away (use soap when you can) and get out of the sunlight. Avoid sunlight on the affected skin for 24 hours.

Stewardship doesn’t end when construction does

Stream restoration often involves excavators rebuilding channels, placing logs and boulders and reconnecting floodplains. Those projects are certainly important, but they’re only one chapter in the story. MNTU projects typically include three years of vegetation management as we seek to establish native plants, including grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees. During this time, our contractors stay on top of treating invasives within the restoration area. But after this period, there may still be efforts needed to keep invasives out of the newly restored area, or to control them nearby to avoid them from spreading back in. This is where volunteers step in.

For several years, members of TCTU have dedicated many hours to controlling wild parsnip along metro-area trout streams. Working carefully and safely, they remove or treat infestations before the plants produce seed, helping native vegetation reclaim valuable streambanks. TCTU’s habitat coordinator, Douglas Moran said, “Once you know what it looks like, you see the plants everywhere and realize how big a problem it is.”

Their stewardship has become an essential part of protecting these waters.

So far, volunteers along with partner organizations have:

• Organized four workdays for this summer with at least as many planned for each of the next five years
• Contributed more than 100 volunteer hours over the past several years
• Worked along approximately 30 stream miles
• Removed or treated thousands of wild parsnip plants
• Focused efforts on the South Branch of the Vermillion and Hay Creek

Each season’s work makes the next one a little easier, but it will take multiple years at each site have a significant impact.

Interested in volunteering?

TCTU is always looking for more volunteers! To learn more about upcoming events, visit twincitiestu.org/events