Cow Parsnips Make An Appearance On The Glenn Highway Near Tazlina Glacier Lodge

 Cow Parsnips Are Not Technically An "Invasive" Species In Alaska 

...But The Plant Is Almost Impossible To Find In The Central Copper Valley. Until Now 

Patch of cow parsnips at Tazlina Glacier Lodge on the Glenn. (Photo, July 2024, Copper River Country Journal) 

The Country Journal ran across this patch of "cow parsnips" in the pulloff past Tazlina Glacier Lodge in June. The plants have large leaves, and look a lot like Devil's Club. Cow parsnip is known for its toxicity. It causes blisters if you brush against it with bare skin.

The Journal sent a photo to the State of Alaska and got back this comment from Gooseberry Peter, Agriculture and Integrated Pest Management Program Assistant at the Cooperative Extension Service: 

From the photo it does look like cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum), which is a native plant. It is often found in moister areas but also likes well drained locations and will pop up on roadsides.

 With climate and growing conditions shifting throughout the state, native plant species are shifting their ranges, but this often receives less attention than the proliferation of invasive species. 

I have passed your observation along to the Copper River Watershed Project in case they know of anyone who is tracking native range shifting in that area. Thanks for sharing this information with us! Feel free to contact us with any other questions.