While some plants are helpful to the environment, some can be harmful to you, your kids and your pets. Some of those plants to be on the lookout for include black henbane and foxtail.

This spring, the city as a whole has once again experienced an increase in the growth of black henbane. The most typical locations for black henbane are disturbed or weakly established landscapes. 

Black henbanePhoto of black henbane.

In Alberta, black henbane is regarded as a noxious weed. Plants have the capacity to generate large quantities of seeds, can irritate the skin, and have alkaloids that are toxic when consumed. 

Large, light-green leaves, a tall, strong stem, and yellow flowers with purple veins and throats are characteristics of black henbane. 

If black henbane is present on your land, remove the plant from the root, bag it, and throw it away. Avoid skin-to-skin contact with care. 

The city has asked Airdronians to alert them if black henbane is found in public spaces so they can take care of it. They can be reached at 403.948.8400. 

Black henbane has been used historically for traditional medicine, although it can unintentionally or deliberately cause intoxication, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Another plant to be on the lookout for is foxtail.

FoxtailPhoto of foxtail.

Foxtail could potentially cause a lot of problems for your furry friends due to the barbed seed head on these plants.

Depending on the area of your pets body that comes into contact with the plant if a foxtail seed becomes attached, there are different symptoms to watch out for.

Ingestion - Coughing, gagging, hacking, and difficulty swallowing food/water.

Eyes - Tears, discharge, and pawing at the face.

Nose - Explosive sneezes and a bloody nose.

Ears - Tilting/shaking of the head, could produce smell/discharge.

Paws - Constant licking of pads, small bumps in between toes.

Under the skin - lumps and hard bumps, small holes on the skin.

It's always good to know what plants could cause some problems for your pets.

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