Poodle Dog...No Joke.

If you plan to mountain bike on some of the newly re opened trails in the Angeles National Forest be on the lookout for a beautiful looking plant lovingly called "Poodle Dog bush" or Turricula parryi. This lavender flowered plant is thriving in large parts of the station fire burn areas and packs a nasty punch. Skin contact with this plant can cause contact dermatitis with a rash, swelling and terrible itching. A large number of the crew at Montrose Bike Shop found this out the hard way so you'll have to take our word for it or read some of the countless other news articles about this new danger in our forest.

Poodle dog bush is most common at about 5000 feet and above, where a lot of the burn area is located. It has been reported in large amounts around the popular Charlton and Chilao area as well as the upper Arroyo Seco near Red Box and the West Fork San Gabriel river below Red Box. it is by no means limited to these areas so please be careful, do not touch it or go anywhere near it if possible.

If despite your best efforts you still  manage to make contact with the poodle dog be ready for symptoms to appear within 2 to 5 days followed by a terrible itch, redness, rash and swelling. My particular case lasted about two weeks and included a trip to kaiser for help with the swelling. I thought it was poison oak as did the Doctor. It does not ooze like poison oak does however. Some experts believe this plant will die off within two to three years. Lucky us.