JESSIE VENTURA IS A HUGE PINHEAD DISAPPOINTMENT

It is 6:28a.m. and Rosie is asleep, Sadie outside, Zippy in his crate, cats somewhere. 31 degrees in Indiana, 55 degrees here in Fla.

Barbie is 51 yrs old today!

Fireweed (Heartleaf nettle) Control in Pastures¹

J. A. Ferrell and B. A. Sellers²

Introduction

Fireweed (Urtica chamaedryoides) (Figure 1) is native to Florida, but has only recently become problematic. This winter annual species is commonly observed in north and central Florida pastures, particularly in bareground areas (near feeding pens and under fences) as well as along tree lines where forage grasses are less dense.

Figure 1.

Fireweed (Urtica chamaedryoides).

Fireweed is particularly troublesome because it possesses stinging hairs that easily embed in skin. Once exposed to the toxin, severe irritation can occur for several hours. Though generally avoided by cattle, horses are more likely to browse fireweed and develop stress symptoms. These symptoms commonly manifest themselves as weight loss, or difficulty in swallowing and breathing for many days after consumption. In extreme cases, young horses have died after rolling in fireweed and becoming over-exposed to the toxins in the leaf hairs.

Biology

Fireweed leaves resemble that of a strawberry plant, (Figure 2) but the plant as a whole has little resemblance to strawberry. The plant has square stems and small pale green flower clusters. Small stinging hairs are found on the stems, petioles and leaves. These hairs contain irritants which have been shown to cause respiratory stress and local allergic reactions when ingested or inhaled.

go gatuh!