Purple haze, the weed that bites back
Browsing the Daily Mail website today I came across an amazing picture of a bone-dry desert in America smothered in a carpet of purple flowers.
There’s something quite intoxicating about nature in all its glory, and this mauve blanket really caught my eye - I’ve posted the link.
Thought this was a desert? It's a magic carpet of purple wildflowers (but these Scorpion Weeds come with their own bite)
I imagine it would be amazing to see something like this for real, for me it would be like the buzz I get from seeing a field full of scarlet poppies in the first few weeks of spring, but a hundred times better.
But if you’re thinking of taking a closer look, be warned.
Don’t be fooled by the alluring beauty of these flowers – the aptly named Scorpion Weed indeed comes with a sting in the tail.
The plant grows wild in desert areas in the United States, and is often found in gardens and back yards.
Gardeners who have tried to get rid of it have frequently come off worse than the weed.
The plant, which belongs to the genus Phacelia, is covered in minute hairs which cause an unpleasant rash after contact with skin.
Although it is treatable it can be very uncomfortable and last for weeks after the initial contact, my research revealed.
The fine hairs can also be carried by dogs who have brushed against a plant.
I came across tales from pet owners who constantly battled burning red skin eruptions every time they gave their best friend a cuddle.
Apparently the best way to treat a rash brought on by the plant is to apply fresh yoghurt or Aloe Vera juice.
Nature is wonderful in all its forms – but I have discovered it's worth remembering not everything is as friendly as it seems.
On a recent trip to Port Doulgas, in Queensland, Australia, I came across the fairly innocuous looking stinging tree.
Don’t be fooled – it too is covered in tiny invisible weapons in the shape of hollow silica-tipped “syringes” loaded with poison.
A brief encounter can result in the victim being covered in a red spots which eventually cluster into a swollen angry mass.
This can last for months and the plant has the potential to kill horses, dogs and humans.
These encounters are not limited to the tropics or far away lands, back home we have a collection of leafy menaces capable of packing a painful punch.
Most people know what it's like to hunt around for a dock leaf after brushing against a cluster of nettles (apparently they always grow close to each other).
Some have been unlucky enough to tell the tale of an encounter with giant hogweed.
This massive plant, which looks a bit like cow parsley, contains a sap that renders human skin intensely sensitive to sunlight.
After contact with it people have been known to develop huge painful blisters when they go out in the sun, and skin can be sensitive for years afterwards.
I remember stories about this lethal Triffid-like villain lurking in the undergrowth from when I was a child spending summer holidays in the country.
And even my favoured poppies are not entirely innocent of mischief.
Of course the common red field poppy is related to the type which produces opium, and if you were to ingest enough of the red ones you may not live to tell the tale.
I reckon the average back garden contains enough toxin to bump off the inhabitants of the household - foxglove, deadly nightshade, laburnam to name a few.
Who would have thought?
Follow @ExpressNathan
There’s something quite intoxicating about nature in all its glory, and this mauve blanket really caught my eye - I’ve posted the link.
Thought this was a desert? It's a magic carpet of purple wildflowers (but these Scorpion Weeds come with their own bite)
I imagine it would be amazing to see something like this for real, for me it would be like the buzz I get from seeing a field full of scarlet poppies in the first few weeks of spring, but a hundred times better.
But if you’re thinking of taking a closer look, be warned.
Don’t be fooled by the alluring beauty of these flowers – the aptly named Scorpion Weed indeed comes with a sting in the tail.
The plant grows wild in desert areas in the United States, and is often found in gardens and back yards.
Gardeners who have tried to get rid of it have frequently come off worse than the weed.
The plant, which belongs to the genus Phacelia, is covered in minute hairs which cause an unpleasant rash after contact with skin.
Although it is treatable it can be very uncomfortable and last for weeks after the initial contact, my research revealed.
The fine hairs can also be carried by dogs who have brushed against a plant.
I came across tales from pet owners who constantly battled burning red skin eruptions every time they gave their best friend a cuddle.
Apparently the best way to treat a rash brought on by the plant is to apply fresh yoghurt or Aloe Vera juice.
Nature is wonderful in all its forms – but I have discovered it's worth remembering not everything is as friendly as it seems.
On a recent trip to Port Doulgas, in Queensland, Australia, I came across the fairly innocuous looking stinging tree.
Don’t be fooled – it too is covered in tiny invisible weapons in the shape of hollow silica-tipped “syringes” loaded with poison.
A brief encounter can result in the victim being covered in a red spots which eventually cluster into a swollen angry mass.
This can last for months and the plant has the potential to kill horses, dogs and humans.
These encounters are not limited to the tropics or far away lands, back home we have a collection of leafy menaces capable of packing a painful punch.
Most people know what it's like to hunt around for a dock leaf after brushing against a cluster of nettles (apparently they always grow close to each other).
Some have been unlucky enough to tell the tale of an encounter with giant hogweed.
This massive plant, which looks a bit like cow parsley, contains a sap that renders human skin intensely sensitive to sunlight.
After contact with it people have been known to develop huge painful blisters when they go out in the sun, and skin can be sensitive for years afterwards.
I remember stories about this lethal Triffid-like villain lurking in the undergrowth from when I was a child spending summer holidays in the country.
And even my favoured poppies are not entirely innocent of mischief.
Of course the common red field poppy is related to the type which produces opium, and if you were to ingest enough of the red ones you may not live to tell the tale.
I reckon the average back garden contains enough toxin to bump off the inhabitants of the household - foxglove, deadly nightshade, laburnam to name a few.
Who would have thought?
Follow @ExpressNathan
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