Experts Warn of Toxic Plant's Return After Wildfires

There aren’t many symbols of resilience than plants emerging in the wake of a disaster. After the wildfires that devastated southern California earlier this year, a visually striking pink flower has likely begun growing in Angeles National Forest. It’s a great visual, and the plant — Eriodictyon parryi, also known as poodle-dog bush — is known to thrive in the wake of fires.

But if you see one while out hiking and think that it might be a nice addition to your home decor, think twice before picking it. Turns out the plant is covered with small hairs, which can cause severe irritation if picked. As the U.S. Forest Service has pointed out, the effect it has on the human body can be more severe than that of poison oak.

Writing at the Los Angeles Times, Lila Seidman has more details on the toxic plant’s return. One expert quoted in the piece said that he believes that conditions after the fire are right for the poodle-dog bush to begin growing. The head of the board of the Mt. Wilson Bicycling Association, Carson Blaker, told the Times that the plant in question had made a significant comeback in the wake of 2020’s Bobcat Fire.

“[T]hat whole front part of the San Gabriel Mountains, the front north side, has a lot of poodle-dog on it,” Blaker said.

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If there’s an upside to Seidman’s reporting, it’s this: once it’s grown, poodle-dog bush doesn’t last forever. “Over roughly 10 years, other plants outcompete it and it fades away,” she writes — which also explains why it’s still around after growing in after a 2020 wildfire. So if you do see a pink-flowered bush that reminded someone of a poodle, it’s probably a wise decision to give it a wide berth.