Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)

Giant Hogweed
Heracleum mantegazzianum

Looking up at flowerheads on a tall plant

Nice shot!

I had that plant (HEMA17) in my perennial large, toxic and ivasive garden in zone 5. Someone once described it as "Alice in Wonderland on acid". With the sap that can react with sunlight to cause burn you to 2nd degree burns, I decided it was too much of a liability to keep. I ripped it out before it got to maturity. It broke my heart but that was just way too dangerous to keep around. Keeping something that can poison you if you ingest it is one thing but something that will cause great harm is you happen to brush against its sap was too much responsibility.

It sounded like a good idea when I bought it, thouh.

Sylvain.

This message was edited Jul 30, 2007 6:36 AM

Thanks, I'd known of this plant for a long time but only saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. They were growing on an area that used to be used for dumping garden & other green waste, now disused & overgrown. Hogweed didn't use to grow there, I'd guess maybe some seeds arrived in clippings that were dumped there years ago. It seems to completely take over the area that it grows in, the large leaves cut out sunlight meaning very little else can grow alongside it. Large plants have a very weird look to them. I didn't dare touch any of them, though I don't know if they can harm you just by brushing past a plant or if you have to actually break the stem or leaves to release the sap.

DMersh, trust me this is a plant from "The unbelievably bad place we are not allowed to mention here". At some point into its life cycle, it will secrete drops of liquid on the edges of its leaves. Brushing your skin against that liquid will cause a nasty sensation when it happens but will burn you badly when it is exposed to sunlight. Do you really want to keep that in your garden? I kid you not.

Here is a link that explains it all in one paragraph:
http://www.invasive.org/browse/subject.cfm?sub=4536

You may also want to read the CAUTION section on this web site from the state of Massachussets:
http://www.massnrc.org/pests/pestFAQsheets/hogweed.html

And finally, the USDA has its eye on this spawn from TUBPWANATMH:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HEMA17

In a few words as in a hundred, treat it with extreme caution. If I were you, I would get the RoundUp, burn its remains, pour holy water and an inch of coarse of salt over the afflicted area. Be afraid, be very afraid. But again, I could be wrong.

I hope this helps avert unnecessary pain.
Sylvain.

Sylvain, you actually found a place that would sell this? I thought it was outlawed everywhere. I just noticed one growing in the wild in my neighborhood. I wonder how it got there and if I should call the town about it.

Sofonisba, yes you are right: I actually found and purchased this horror from a reputable nursery who had placed it on a bargain plant table. It sat alone with distressed irises and hemerocallis. They only had one specimen. The leaf structure attracted me to it. I guess you could say it called out to me.

I had more irises and daylilies than I could shake a stick at. A friend of mine said she might get it if I didn't. She was too late. I had already made up my mind to give it a good home. Worse yet, I enquired if they had 5 or 6 more so I could start a new bed. Thank Him above, they didn't. Be careful what you buy, it could turn around and bite you when it grows.

Sylvaiin

That's just scary! Did they know what they had there?

I guess not. I only found out that plant's proclevities when I researched it on the internet to learn if it was a full-sun or shade plant. That thing would grow anywhere, regardless of sun or shade.

Sylvain.

Glad you got rid of it.