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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.