AIN’T SHE A REAL MOTHER? 

THERE ARE TIMES THAT MOTHER NATURE displays a perverse sense of irony. Take Eriodictyon parryi, the poodle-dog bush. 

Then again, NO! DON’T TOUCH!

A poodle-dog bush flower cluster, the aroma of which suggests marijuana. Image from Wikipedia.

I’ve learned about the poodle-dog bush from Daughter Suz in response to our recent wild fires here in southern California. Here are tidbits about this opportunistically harmful plant gleaned from a variety of sources.

A California Mountain Shrub. Wikipedia notes, “Eriodictyon parryi or poodle-dog bush is a tall California mountain shrub with showy purple flowers, which is notable for secreting a severe skin irritant. It is an opportunistic species that grows mostly in areas that have been disturbed by fire. In a dry early spring in Southern California, its semi-dormant leaves can droop and curl into coils like locks of curly hair, hence the popular name based on the metaphor of a poodle’s natural hair.”

And a Dangerous Rash! Frank Stolze writes, “Hikers, Beware: Eaton Fire Brings Out Whimsically Named Poodle-Dog Bush,” LAist, April 12, 2025: “There’s a plant with an unusual name that rises out of the ground only after a fire. The poodle-dog bush—with its lavender, bell-shaped flowers—already has been spotted in the Angeles National Forest, according to the U.S. Forest Service, which has a page dedicated to it on its website.” 

Alas, as you’ll learn below, Stolze got to that page before it was inexplicably scrubbed.   

Do not pet the poodle-dog bush, LAist warns. Image by US Forest Service via LAist.

Stolze spoke with Naomi Fraga, director of conservation programs at the California Botanic Garden. She notes that she didn’t get a rash, but she’s known plenty of people who’ve suffered: “People who’ve gotten it say it’s worse than poison oak. I’ve had people who have had to get cortisone shots, and they were really uncomfortable for a week or two.”

What’s worse, Wikipedia notes, “Once the immune system has been sensitized to the irritant, later exposure can cause a memory response, in which previously exposed areas erupt even though they were not exposed the second time.”

Fire Germination; Beneficial Presence. The seeds of the poodle-dog bush can lay dormant for years until the heat or smoke of a fire stimulates them to germinate. Their thriving prevents harmful soil erosion. In time, new growth of indigenous plants edges them out—until another fire-induced germination.

Poodle-dog bush can thrive relatively quickly in an area recently burned, like this spot scorched by the Eaton Fire in the San Gabriel Mountains. Image by Matt Baffert via LAist.

Some Non-Political Research. When Daughter Suz told me about the fire-rejuvenating nature of poodle-dog bush, my first thought was “Here’s a fine bit of Mother Nature having an ironic twist. What a good non-political item for SimanaitisSays.” 

Ha! The first “poodle-dog bush” Google entry is the Wikipedia item cited here. The second one is from the US Forest Service (.gov) cited by Frank Stolze, with an information line “Poodle-dog bush helps to heal the Earth, as its deep roots hold soil together. This reduces mud and debris from being dislodged after a fire and allows new…” 

Great. 

However, clicking on this Google choice doesn’t get any information. Here in SoCal it gives the USDA Forest Service Angeles National Forest lead page, with nary a mention of poodle-dog bush.

Here’s the page. 

Okay, no problem. There’s a “Keyword Search,” into which I typed “poodle-dog bush.” Here’s the result:

Okay, I’ll try a more general search, specifically “usda.gov,” and proceed from there. Its Search function leads me back to that lead page. What’s more….

What the hell is DoubleSpeak “politically motivated lawfare”? 

WHAT TRUMP BULLSHIT IS THIS?!! In particular, note, “USDA launched a new web portal for potential farmer, rancher, and USDA customers who have fallen victim to unfair and politically motivated lawfare originating under the Biden Administration. Submit a complaint➝”

I suppose my complaint might be “Who’s the nitwit USDA operative scrubbing the item that began ‘Poodle-dog bush helps to heal the Earth…’?”

On the other hand, Mother Nature and her cohort Father Physics teach us the futility of pissing up a rope. 

Geez. I’m glad Daughter Suz warned me about the poodle-dog bush. We hadn’t known about this other USDA irritant. ds

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2025