Daphne Laureola, Spurge-laurel

Day 187: It's quite one thing to have knowledge of a plant's appearance from photographs and another to recognize it upon seeing it for the first time, moreso if it is in an unexpected location. With snow still on the ground but more Spring-like temperatures, I ventured out on an invasive species patrol in a local county park on Easter. I had not gone 25 yards up the paved trail until I stopped dead in my tracks. "Is that Spurge-laurel?" I said aloud. "Holy crap." I pushed a few blackberry briars aside to reach my target, took photos of it from several angles, both long shots and close-ups, and then just to be sure and despite a nagging memory that Spurge-laurel can cause contact dermatitis, I pinched off a six-inch flower-bearing sprig and popped it in my shirt pocket for further analysis. For the remainder of my mile-and-a-half walk, I kept waiting for my hand to start itching or to blister. When I got home a little over an hour later, I scrubbed my hands most vigorously. Apparently, I am not one of the unfortunates who reacts or else I did not get sufficient sap on my skin, but in very short order, I confirmed my suspicions: the plant was indeed Daphne laureola, a Class B invasive and poisonous even beyond skin irritation. Worse, I had found at least a dozen plants along the edge of a small wetland, and others may lie deeper into the woods. The Easter Bunny brings some people brightly coloured eggs. Me, he brings invasive plants. Thanks a lot, Bun.