Yep, it's on the list(s) as a "skin irritant". See link.

In my previous garden, I had others cut it back. ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: Poisonous Perennials

Gary, I had a run-in with this plant years ago. I was careful to cut off all the seed pods (or so I thought). I missed one and must have rubbed my leg against it when I was working in the garden (like you the area of irritation lined up with the plant). I had major blistering followed by scars for about 3 years, no joke. I had transplanted it so it hadn't bloomed for a couple years. This year there were many flowers and I still haven't gone near it to cut the pods off! I'm afraid, very afraid! LOL!

I wouldn't mind giving this plant a go around. I don't like asking, but if any of you that have it would like to share or trade some seeds with me, that would be great. PM me if you want, or otherwise just ignore me....lol!

Karen

Yes, Dictamnus will cause a nasty rash. I have always loved this plant, but it was banished from my yard about 15 years ago when hubby had a nasty run-in with it. Putting mulch around some ground hugging junipers caused some minor scratches on his forearms. He then moved on to the area around the Gas Plant. The result was the nastiest rash I have ever seen.

Thanks, everybody. I think I now have the confirmation I was looking for. That plant is history in my garden. Too bad, because I've always admired its hardiness, the beautiful flowers, and the citrusy scent.

Karen: They're not the easiest plants to start from seedÂthey require long periods of cold followed by warmÂbut I've been successful at it.

The funny thing about all this is that I've had the plant for over twenty years and never before made the connection between it and my early summer skin rashes, probably because they were never as nasty and severe.

Gary

If I could get seeds from somewhere, winter sowing them this winter is the way I'll do it. I did a little searching and saw they need cold strat. I did find one place that has seeds, so I'll wait until winter and see if they still have some and order....unless someone here has seeds to share...lol!

Karen

Hi,
You didn't ask for advice for your poor weeping skin, but I will give it.
Don't garden with those open weeping areas. There are spores and bacteria in the garden and your broken skin is a perfect spot for them to get into your system. If you must garden or feel you have to, cover lightly with a bandage, wear long pants, wash the area and your hands very, very well after gardening. Try to keep your hands off.

Perhaps you'd consider seeing a doctor. There are medicines that can reduce your suffering and reduce the chance of scarring. Besides, you really do want to make sure the area is not infected.

I'm a very dirty kind of gardener myself, so I'm not being alarmist. But these soilborn bacteria can be really virulent in the body.

I would hesitate to ditch the dictamnus if you have gardened safely for 20 years and this is the first problem. I have several of these and only once did I get a severe rash, tho oddly the rash was not itchy nor did it hurt.

I had deadheaded the gas plants and stood there for some time, garden-planning in my head and holding the cut stems. The stems must have dripped onto my arm to cause the rash. Now I deadhead fast and toss the deadheads into a trashbag equally fast. I've never had another problem.

This is one of the most beautiful perennials and so hard to establish for many of us. Hate to see one go unless it's really necessary.

Wow, I had no idea about this one. I don't have one, and now I'll be sure not to ever think of getting one!

idabean, what you said is worrying me a little now. I have been fighting a weepy, itchy rash on my hands for months now. It started when I was winter sowing and using Pro Mix. I did this without gloves a few times (which I have since learned you shouldn't do), and that's when it started. Now, it seems like every time I do anything in the garden, the rash flares again within a day or so. Independent of Pro Mix, which I've long since finished with.

Now I'm wondering if I am getting garden-variety (pardon the pun) soil bacteria in the open areas. Yikes. I'm not always the greatest about wearing gloves every single time I do anything. If I set out with the intention of doing garden chores I put them on, but you know how it is: Sometimes I just get out of the car on my way home, see something that needs doing and don't bother to "suit up."

Maybe I need to go to the dermatologist...

First I am not a health care professional, but I read a lot about almost anything!Something going on that long I'd sure have looked at. It seems to me that you could have also developed a sensitivity to something, so you are experiencing allergic reaction. Hopefully it is just an allergic dermatitis but your primary doc or derm. can suggest or prescribe something to control the flareups. (I should mention my dh as had eczema for his whole life, so we could be in the skin care business!)AS for fungal or bacterial infections she or he will check that out.

I had a horrible job cutting back rhodies with poison ivy growing all through it. I got scratches then got poison ivy in the scratches. I wanted to scratch off my skin. It itched so much it hurt. I tried everything, and finally had to get oral medicine to relieve the symptoms. But that PI oil is a stubborn bugger.

Now there is Technu magic wash and my pi has been limited to small patches. However, my reaction is greatly heightened since that awful encounter in the rhododendrons.

I'd be curious to find out what you learn/

take care,
Marie

Idabean, thanks for the sage advice. I did go see the doc and got a cream which I'm using and it seems to help.

What you said about the risk of further infection is also spot-on. Among other things, I'm an avid composter and have a Mighty Mac to support my habit. More than once I've gotten rashes, some pretty awful, from having particles of leaves, weeds, branches and kitchen waste whipped into my uncovered lower legs. No more!

Gary

Karen, you'd do better giving dictamnus seeds lengthy warm, cold, cool moist periods and in that order than straight winter sowing them. Sow late summer/earliest fall so they get an initial 6-8 weeks warm moist period to begin, leave them outside for spring germination.

What is an irritant for one person in the garden may not affect another the same - I'm not especially sensitive to most plants, but did get a nasty burn opening hellebore seed pods with bare hands one year. It didn't look particularly bad, but was surprisingly painful for about three days.

I've come home from picking wild berries more than once with an itchy red rash on forearms that is almost instantly resolved with soap and warm water. I've never been able to determine which is the offending plant.

Never heard this before, thanks for the info. I've been wanting this plant for awhile, but will give it appropriate caution.

Gary, I'm with Ginny on this one. If you've had this plant for a long time it must be a beauty by now with its gorgeous flowers. I don't think there are many perennials out there that can rival a large, lush blooming dictamnus.

Thanks for the info, morz8, maybe I'll order those seeds in August and plant them then, and leave them aside until next year.

Karen

What Gary said was spot on - I garden every day for clients and even at home I always even on the nastiest hot days wear long jeans or blue uniform pants, large tee shirts, sturdy sneakers or boots and rubber coated gloves because some of these plants (junipers, poison ivy, barberries, spurge as common examples I am around) and even the granules of dirt can really do a number on you - from itchy scratches to rashes - some minor and a couple in the past not so minor. I've never had a poison ivy rash as I'm always on the lookout for it but I did get a horrible rash from Cow Parsnip (a woodland native) I was deadheading in an all native garden. It was just like a poison ivy rash after the direct sun light activated the irritant - it took almost a month to go away.

I have Dictamus - a buy from last year for a ridiculous price but I have been very careful around it. It has a lemony scent just don't get to close to touch it. It's one of those old timey hard to find plants like Peonies but my thinking is its' toxicity is what made it fall out of favor. But at least it doesn't spread around like the poison ivy.

I have dictamnus, but I knew ahead of time to give it wide berth, so no problems here. My early spring/summer gardening rash actually turned out to be sun allergy/photo-sensitivity, which is interesting because I understand the gas plant's oil is a photo-toxin, as in it gets on you, but the poison is activated by sunlight.

Lighting it up at night is awesome. On still, humid nights the flares can be ten inches long :D.