Wildlife & Invasive Species

Wild Chervil is a herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial from the carrot/parsley family, introduced to North America from Europe. It is commonly found along roadsides, cultivated field edges and pastures, and is abundant in various locations through The Blue Mountains and Grey County. Wild Chervil can quickly take over an area, displacing native species and forming dense stands that are difficult to control. 

How to identify Wild Chervil

• Wild Chervil is a biennial or short-lived perennial producing numerous compound Umbel Shaped clusters of white flowers.
• Flowers bloom usually from May to June. Seeds appear late June through July.
• Plant has alternately arranged, compound, fern-like leaves.
• Stems are entirely green, ridged, and hollow. Portions of the stem are smooth while lower portions are hairy.
• Plants are upright and can grow to 1-1.5m in height.
• Chervil resembles other plants in the carrot/parsley family, such as Wild Carrot (Queen Anne’s Lace).
• Wild Chervil can be easily recognized because it is the first species in the carrot/parsley family to flower in late spring.

View Wild Chervil Fact Sheet

What to do if you think you've seen Wild Chervil

If you suspect or identify Wild Chervil growing on your property, please contact By-Law Services. If you suspect or identify Wild Chervil growing within the Town's Road Allowance, please contact the Operations Department.

Poison Ivy is a harmful weed that can be distinguished by its low growth and its cluster of three leaves. The plant can most commonly be found along the edges of trails and woodland, meadows, fence lines or roadsides.

Human Health Risks

Its roots contain a poisonous substance and can cause irritation, inflammation and blisters when it comes into contact with the skin.

Giant Hogweed is a perennial plant native to southwest Asia and a member of the carrot family. The plant has the potential to spread readily and grows along roadsides, ditches and streams. It invades old fields and native habitats such as open woodlands. 

Human Health Risks

The clear watery sap of giant hogweed contains toxins that can cause severe inflammation of the skin. You can get severe burns if you get the sap on your skin and following exposure to sunlight. Symptoms occur within 48 hours and consist of painful blisters. For more information on Giant Hogweed, please visit Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program website. 

Wild Parsnip, which is also known as poison parsnip, is a member of the carrot/parsley family and is an invasive plant native to Europe and Asia. It typically grows a low, spindly rosette of leaves in the first year while the root develops. In the second year it flowers on a tall stalk and then dies. The plant can form dense stands and spreads quickly in areas such as open fields, meadows and roadsides. The plant produces sap containing chemicals that can cause human skin to react to sunlight, resulting in intense burns, rashes or blisters.

How to identify Wild Parsnip

• Grows up to 1.5 metres tall.
• The single green stem is two to five centimetres thick and smooth with few hairs.
• Compound leaves are arranged in pairs, with sharply toothed leaflets that are shaped like a mitten.
• Yellowish green flowers form umbrella-shaped clusters 10 to 20 centimetres across.
• Seeds are flat and round.

For more information on Wild Parsnip, please visit Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program website. 

For a comprehensive list of noxious weeds found within The Blue Mountains, please click here. 

As explained under the Ontario Invasive Species Act, 2015, an invasive species is a species that is not native to Ontario, or to a part of Ontario, and is harming the natural environment or is likely to harm the natural environment, regardless of whether it is present in Ontario or in a part of Ontario.

For more information on dealing with, and identifying invasive species, please visit Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program website.