Ottawa is heading into round two of wild parsnip maintenance in city parks, with crews set to begin work next week, according to a report from CityNews Ottawa. It's a seasonal reminder for anyone who spends time in Ottawa's parks, trails, and green spaces to keep an eye out for the plant and give it a wide berth.
What Is Wild Parsnip, and Why Does Ottawa Care?
Wild parsnip is an invasive plant that's become a familiar (and unwelcome) sight along roadsides, trails, and open fields in the Ottawa area over the years. It's easy to mistake for a harmless weed at first glance, with its clusters of small yellow-green flowers, but its sap contains compounds that react with sunlight on skin contact — a condition known as phytophotodermatitis. That reaction can cause painful burns, blistering, and rashes, which is why the City of Ottawa treats it as a public safety issue rather than just a gardening nuisance.
Because the plant tends to spread quickly through parks, ditches, and undeveloped green space, cities like Ottawa typically manage it through a mix of mowing, cutting, and targeted removal timed around its growth cycle — which is why maintenance often comes in multiple rounds through the warmer months rather than a single one-and-done effort.
Round Two Getting Underway
With round one of this year's wild parsnip maintenance already behind them, Ottawa crews are preparing to head back out to parks across the city next week for a second pass. The timing lines up with how the plant grows and reseeds over the summer — a single treatment early in the season often isn't enough to keep it in check, especially in a city with as much green space as Ottawa.
For Ottawa residents, that means it's worth being a little extra cautious near park edges, trailheads, and any patches of tall, weedy growth over the coming weeks while crews are out working. If you do come into contact with wild parsnip sap, the general advice is to wash the area with soap and water as soon as possible and keep it out of direct sunlight, since the reaction is triggered by UV exposure.
Keeping Ottawa's Parks Safe All Season
Ottawa's parks are a huge part of what makes the city livable in the summer, from riverside trails to neighbourhood green spaces where families and dog walkers spend their evenings. Efforts like this wild parsnip maintenance push are part of the ongoing, less glamorous work that keeps those spaces usable and safe. It's a good reminder for Ottawa residents to stay aware of what's growing along the paths they walk regularly, especially in areas that back onto fields, ditches, or less-manicured green space.
Keep an eye on official city updates for specifics on which parks will see crews next week.
Source: CityNews Ottawa
