Garden

[terrier3]

Yesterday I spent almost 3 hours out in the hot sun...pulling up weeds in the hosta beds.

They were pretty tall, looked like dandelion leaves, but THORNY (small, sharp thorns)/ The flowers were on a cehter stalk, white & yellow. They were easy to pull up.

BUT, they HURT and today my eyes are half closed shut - I think I wiped the sweat from my brow and probably got some part of the plant on my face.

Any ideas? Upstate NY.

TIA!

[GingerPeach]

I doubt you can do anything to remove the plant oils/irritation since I imagine you've already washed your face a couple of times by now.

Maybe take a bit of Benadryl, and keep your eyes cool, with an ice pack or something like that.

If it doesn't resolve itself by tomorrow, call your doctor.  I would expect this to be temporary.

If you could, post a picture of the plant/weed.

[KingstonsMom]

Maybe take some benadryl & use some calamine or a cortisone cream on your skin?

I've had the same thing happen more than once when dealing plants/weeds!

Of course, I'm not a medical professional, but this is what's helped me.

Good luck & let us know how you do!

[KingstonsMom]

Could it be this one?

GROWTH HABIT: Annual, erect to 2 feet tall. LEAVES: 2 to 5 inches long, deep lobed, covered with spines on the under side. STEMS: Covered with sharp spines. FLOWER: Yellow, 1 inch wide, 5 lobed, bloom throughout the summer. ROOTS: Taproot. SEEDS: Numerous, small, black, wrinkled, flattened, seeds in a spine covered capsule. OTHER: Native to U.S. on disturbed prairie and wastelands.

[Nataliesgramma]

I am guessing that it might be some kind of Thistle...

[JustJazzmom]

@terrier3

Did it have a taproot as a dandelion does?

Were the leaves hairy or fuzzy in certain areas?

It does sound like a thistle which does have yellow flowers and they can get HUGE over time.

If I see them in my garden beds I always wear gloves as their thorns can stick to your skin and pinch your fingers. I figure this was an evolutionary thing so animals would not eat the leaves (hurt the insides of their mouths).

I always wear gloves whenever I am gardening because you never know when you see a weed and that weed might be a thistle or some poison ivy seedling.

[terrier3]

I thought thistles had round flowers?

This DID have fuzzy areas - that's how I got badly cut up...I didn't realize that they were SHARP!

I think I got them all (for now) If I can find one, I'll take a pic.

Thanks all!!!!

[Nataliesgramma]

I agree about wearing gloves.....I got some with rubber palms that are thicker that I like alot at Lowes.

[GingerPeach]

@terrier3 I'm guessing it might have been this (prickly lettuce, or latuca serriola).  Apparently it is edible.  I have these in my yard also.  They are surprisingly prickly.