This is my arm on weed

[gwyn]

About a month ago, I was tearing out overgrown weeds and crap in the back garden. It's a huge messy jungle out there, where I can't even see from one end of the garden to the other because the lemon balm, feverfew, foxgloves, catchfly and other crap are so tall. One of the worst spots had just giant streaming vines of this weed, and I can't find out what it's called. I've been on a bunch of web sites but haven't seen a pic or description of this thing that matches. It left me in agony. It's got these kind of... hairy, for want of a better word, leaves and stems, and about five to six lobes on it in a fan shape.

This one is kind of dessicated as I didn't think to take a pic until after I'd dumped everything in the yard waste. And as you'll see below, there's a reason I didn't want to go digging through the can after I'd piled other things on top. It grows and kind of winds around and through things, though not as bad as bindweed (false morning glory). It was literally everywhere and I'm still finding hidden bunches of it. Can anyone identify it?

This is weed:



And this is my arm on weed:



It was like being branded or something. Welts all over my arms, all the way up to my armpits because I would reach into these clumps of flowers and pull it out, and it would attach to my shirt like a leech. I'm glad I was at least wearing long pants because it hurt so much, if my legs had gotten it too, I don't know how I'd have slept for a few days. They stayed around until about five days later. It reminded me a lot of the time I fell in a nettle patch when I was little, wearing only shorts and a little top.

Before I tackle this again, I want to know what I'm up against!

Comments

[movies-michelle.livejournal.com]

Oy! Can't help with identification, but OY!

[torra.livejournal.com]

I have a bunch of local flora books in my collection. It's in one of the rooms curently packed for remodeling, but I'll see if I can squeeze back there when I get back home and try to find out for ya. I reconise it, and I know what'ch'er talk'n about, but I can never remember what it's called. Nasty stuff. I'll let'cha know if I can get back to my books.

ETA: Sorry for the missplaced reply. ::faceplam:: Deleated previous coment to put it in the right slot.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Hey no problem! I did get some IDs for it -- Cleavers, some kind of Galium. Not toxic, at least!

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

Could this be it? http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/rub/galium_aparine.htm

I'm not seeing Galium aparine being mentioned specifically as a skin irritant, but everyone talks about its hooked hairs, which certainly sound like they could be painful and irritating!

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Hey, I think that's it! My Sunset garden book only lists one called Galium odoratum and says it's sweet woodruff, which I have heard of, but I mean... this thing is a weed, not an annual!! It must have come in my can of cottage garden seeds or something, and I guess some crazy people actually plant it for scent or flowers. Crazy kids.

I guess I must be allergic to it or something -- I have freakishly sensitive skin anyway, so I must be reacting to something in it or something about the hairs on it. Because obviously people seem to like it!

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

I have those all through my flowerbeds (here in NJ) and they are EVIL PLANTSONIFIED.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

They really really are. I guess the answer is that it's some type of Galium, commonly called cleavers. Ick, is what I call them

[twistedchick]

It looks to me like stinging nettle -- which is wicked in the garden but is actually good for you as tea. Very good for you, in fact. I don't remember woodruff having that kind of reaction for people. Woodruff also has a scent -- it was used against moths -- while nettle does not have that sort of fragrance.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I guess it is some type of Galium -- apparently there are 84 varieties, but only the sweet woodruff variety is mentioned in my garden book, which is odd because it seems to be everywhere here. Nettles I definitely know -- and run from for my life. I had a terrible, terrible experience with them when I was a kid, and I treat them the way a vampire treats garlic!

[ixchel55.livejournal.com]

O.o *wince!*

It's stinging nettle, babe! It's actually a very useful and versatile herb (medically and culinary-wise). Unfortunately it does have to be handled with care. *Duh!* huh?

One of the best topical remedies is jewelweed. You might try calling a Whole Foods or Wild Oats type of place and see if they carry a tincture of it. It's better as a fresh poultice but it's not exactly usually lying around in most people's backyards.

If all else fails - calamine lotion.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Not nettles! Them, I know and I run from them like the wind. Hate them with my very soul. (I can't imagine drinking tea from them. It's insane, I tell you!)

I guess it's a kind of Galium, called cleavers, commonly. It must be something I am allergic to, because other people don't recall seeing that type of reaction. Lucky me!!

[ixchel55.livejournal.com]

Cleavers! You're absolutely right. I really should know. I had them all over my back yard at the house I had. Sticky little bastards! And yes, as I recall they're full of a milky colored sap that's kind of nasty.

But as for stinging nettles? They're actually a good pot green, like collards or kale. They completely lose their sting when they're cooked.

[leela-cat.livejournal.com]

Yow. That looks nasty.

If it's stinging nettle, we used the sap from burdock leaves to ease the itching when I was a kid in England.

Although nettles don't usually attach themselves to your clothes. They just have soft "hairs" on the leaves that leave welts behind if you don't grab them hard enough. A soft touch always leaves a sting.

And, yeah, as others suggested calamine or benedryl lotion or Traumeel or any other anti-itch cream/gel/lotion.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah, not nettles, some kind of Galium (of which there are apparently 84 varieties!). And my reaction appears to be unusual, so I guess it's just me. I piled on the lotion but it didn't help -- the welts just went away in their own time. But now that I know it's more related to me, probably, than the plant itself, I will try an antihistamine if I come in contact again. I just hope I don't come in contact!

[sobelle.livejournal.com]

ouch! sympathies! dunno what it is tho.

I'm mostly afraid to venture out into my yard unless I'm wearing a hazmat suit.

between the bugs, snakes and plants that want to prove their dominance? there's the heat stroke...

I'll probably go outside again after the 1st frost.

::sends virtual calamine::

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I think the worst part about Seattle in some ways is that when it finally dries out enough and warms up enough to really work in the garden without fear of your arthritic fingers cramping up, it's too hot to wear long sleeves and pants. Which, in this case, really sucks! Now that I have an idea what it is, though, and that it's probably more me having an allergic reaction rather than the plant being toxic, I can try to plan more carefully when I do this sort of clearing out. And get a machete...

[(Anonymous)]

Hee! arthritic fingers? totally! X(

Again, sorry for your pain but I've learned a whole bunch more about Cleavers and it's amazing medicinal uses although it does seem awfully vicious in the raw (I will say that one of my 1st thoughts was of a Firefly nature...reavers =0

[gattagrigia.livejournal.com]

OUCH!

that looks rather nasty - plese do what you can asap to alleviate it!

but i do remember eating and enjoying PNW nettle soup in the past, so i looked for a recipe (http://www.wildeye.co.uk/stinging-nettles/) and also found this link (http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/) that eventually has lots of clear pics of different nettles. Not much help here, i guess...

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

When I checked on the pix in your link, gattagrigria, (great info BTW!) then stinging nettle does not look like this plant. Nettle has larger spade-shaped leaves and the main stalk gets very large and upright, like dandelions or sow thistle, but bigger.
The effects look similar to nettle, though, sorry to say!
What you have does look like that first link from batwrangler: cleevers or lady's bedstraw, which is famously used as a dye plant. The Galium family does include sweet woodruff, which is a different species. I've grown that one, it has smooth leaves in a similar shape (not sticky to it, not furry) and the kind I had gave a kind of odd green veggie odor, not particularly sweet.
The fur or hooks on the weed leaves may be an irritant in their own right (similar to cactus glochids or hairs from beavertail cactus, for instance) or there may be a chemical reaction as with poison ivy and poison oak. Poison Control Center might be able to help you id and treat this.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I think you hit the nail on the head.

I'm so lucky!

[elynross.livejournal.com]

I have this here and there, as well, but I've never had a reaction like that! You poor thing!

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I guess I am just lucky!!! But in a way it's good to know it's a me problem rather than a toxic plant.

[dekadai.livejournal.com]

though it might have been painful, can I say that looks really cool?

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Heeeee!!! That actually made me LOL. It does almost kind of look like I went out and got some kind of floral pattern branding, doesn't it? I was amused that on both arms, there were leaf patterns and stem marks. When I wasn't miserable, that is. ;-)

[jcalanthe]

That's Cleavers (it's defly not stinging nettle, which has broader leaves). Which I see someone else id'd by their Latin name. Cleavers are wonderful, but they are grabby (when I harvest, I hang them on my t-shirt to bring in the house by just touching them to it). Poor you - I send lots of sympathy! It sounds to me like you have an allergy because your reaction is so extreme - if you need to work with it further, long sleeves & gloves or other protective gear sound like a good idea.

[wolffire.livejournal.com]

I've never known the name of these, but I think jcalanthe has nailed it. Your plant is definitely not nettles, and is *most definitely* an invasice plant that I've done battle with in the past. It made me break out in contact hives too...so you are not alone in reacting to it...though I'm not sure I had it as bad as it looks like you do. Lotions with oatmeal milk in them are usually very soothing to me. That and calamine lotions/creams.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I am so glad I'm not alone! I almost feel like I should get a hazmat suit for working in the garden. It's the first time I've ever had a reaction like this to something, though I am glad to know that at least it's not a toxic plant.