You may have heard a lot of panic in the news lately about this plant. Even though today is Friday the Thirteenth, we wanted to bring you just the facts:

This towering plant with large, white, umbrella-like flowers may look harmless–or even inviting–but the reality is quite the opposite.  The giant hogweed is an invasive species that produces up to 120,000 seeds that spread by wind and water.  The seeds typically sprout in the first two years but can remain in the ground more than five years, eventually dominating a habitat.  The pesky plant also has natural defenses that can cause various skin irritations.

Originating from Asia and possibly imported as an interesting home garden plant, giant hogweed can grow in a variety of areas, but prefers moist soils with high-light levels. Its sap contains chemicals activated by sunlight to become irritants.  If these chemicals come into contact with skin, they can cause severe dermatitis such as welts, rashes, and blistering, followed by pigmented scarring.  The chemicals can be found in the leaves, stems, flowers, and roots of giant hogweed, deterring anything from eating or removing it once it becomes established in a region.

If you believe that you have seen this plant, please contact your local conservation authority to ensure proper removal and handling.  Do not try to remove this material on your own.

One way to help prevent the spread of this plant or other non-native species, use locally native flowers, trees and shrubs in your home gardens and landscapes.  Not only will native plants save on water and maintenance, but you’ll also be your local environment. To help you find which plants a native to your area, visit the Evergreen Native Plant Database.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 9:44 am and is filed under In the Field, Issues, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.