THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 29, 1996 TAG: 9604290035
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
The time has come for the tender-footed among us to toughen up.
Nature is finally filling in the landscape's rough spots with wildflowers and well-coiffed gardens. The temptation to tiptoe through the tulips is intensifying.
Better yet, no longer do we need to find (at least) a pair of socks and (at best) two matching shoes just to take out the trash.
This is spring. Be merry. Be barefoot.
But also beware: The grass could bite.
Residents of northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia may soon fall victim to spurweed, a pesky, parsley-like plant now blooming and getting ready to set spine-laden seeds that can prick human skin and cause a burning sensation.
``Adults and children alike who encounter them are in for an unpleasant surprise,'' Pasquotank County Extension Agent Tom Campbell said in a recent news release.
``It's uncomfortable. Though it's nowhere near like stepping on sand spurs. They're big and hard. And these kind of just barely penetrate the skin,'' said Mike Williams, director of the Chowan County Extension Office.
Spurweed is tiny - only about a half-inch high. It spreads with the aid of birds and seeds ``hitchhiking'' on soft-soled shoes and tires, Campbell said.
Spurweed can grow just about anywhere on the East Coast and is apparently sociable, preferring to hang out in areas frequented by other weeds.
``The best way to control it is to maintain the lawn for grass,'' Williams said. ``There are a lot of weeds that people just leave alone. But this is one of them that gets most of them going to do something about.''
``If people learn to recognize spurweed and take action against it in a timely manner,'' Campbell said, ``they can save their families considerable pain in the near future.'' MEMO: To find out what you can do if bothered by spurweed, contact your local
extension office.
by CNB