A poisonous weed that can cause severe burns and itching is spreading across the country and it could be found in Tennessee soon.
It's called poison parsnip or wild parsnip, and you don't want it growing in your yard! This invasive weed has a toxic sap that can cause blisters and burns if your skin comes into contact with it.
The weed is originally from the northeast United States and has been spreading across the country. It's been found growing in neighboring states North Carolina and Kentucky and will likely be found here soon.
The tall, stringy plant is topped with clusters of yellow flowers, and can be mistaken for a dill plant or Queen Anne's Lace.
People who have been affected by it say it feels like it's eating away at your skin, but Neal Denton, an agriculture extension agent at UT, says if you wash off after touching it and stay out of the sun you can avoid a reaction.
"The oils and the chemicals that cause this are easily washed off with soap and water, it's not like poison ivy when you get an immune response, where you can be touched in one spot and the whole body react or a large part of the body react to it," says Denton.
Experts say the effects of the reaction could last for weeks and scars can last for years.