Toxic weed shows up in eastern Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is asking for the public's help in eliminating a toxic weed showing up in eastern parts of Minnesota.

Grecian foxglove is not native to North America. The plant came from central and southern Europe and is known to be growing in parts of Washington, Dakota and Wabasha counties.

Officials say the weed is poisonous, and both fresh and dried plant parts are toxic. The plant's leafy portions could be mistaken for lettuce or other leafy greens.

The weed will come back year after year if it isn't treated. It's known to be growing in roadsides, yards, grasslands and forest margins along the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers.