Myrtle spurge: B.C. children left burned by invasive plant
The Invasive Species Council of B.C. is asking the public to report sightings of a "highly toxic" plant that can leave people's skin blistered and burned – something one family recently learned the hard way.
Okanagan residents Doug and Sandra Nimmo were hosting their granddaughters over the July long weekend when the children came into contact with Myrtle spurge, a garden perennial that carries a nasty sap capable of causing blindness in severe cases.
Fortunately, the children, who had been picking plants for a bouquet, only woke up the next morning with red and irritated skin, according to the Invasive Species Council, which shared the family's story.
"They got out of bed, and I was shocked to see their faces puffed up with blisters," Sandra Nimmo told the ISCBC, adding that the children weren’t seriously hurt.
“They laughed when they saw their faces in the mirror, and it only took about a week and a half to clear their skin.”
Myrtle spurge, or euphorbia myrsinites, is described as an extremely aggressive invasive species from the Mediterranean that can quickly take over gardens and other green spaces.
If ingested, the plant can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. To cause blindness, the sap has to come into contact with someone's eyes.
The Invasive Species Council said Myrtle spurge is recognizable by its small, yellow flowers and light blue-green leaves, which are sharp and spiral closely around the stem. The plant grows 10 to 15 cm tall and forms a "low, spreading mound," according to the ISCBC.
Myrtle spurge is seen in an image from the Invasive Species Council of B.C.
The plants are mostly found in the Okanagan, where they thrive in its warm climate and dry soil. They’re also sometimes found for sale at garden centres, despite being provincially regulated.
"With our PlantWise program, we are working with growers, retailers, and consumers to spread the word about which invasive species shouldn’t be sold and grown in B.C.," ISCBC's Allison McCabe said in a statement. "Great alternatives to Myrtle spurge include Lanceleaf Stonecrop (sedum lanceolatum), a beautiful native succulent that thrives in hot, dry conditions.”
The Invasive Species Council of B.C. said people can find more alternatives through its Grow Me Instead website. Anyone who has been in contact with Myrtle spurge or another invasive species is urged to report it online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.