Giant Hog Weed

~ By Aletha ~

I picked the Giant Hogweed as an invasive plant in Illinois. You may think this plant is not much unless you have to look up something and then it makes you think about what is growing around you.

The Giant Hogweed plant is an exotic weed introduced into the Illinois landscape. You have to be careful around this plant as it does cause health risks to people. It is a native to the Caucasus Mountain and Asia southwestern area and was introduced to Canada, Europe and the United States. This plant is on the Federal List of Noxious weeds and it is illegal to propagate, sell or transport in the United States.

Giant Hogweed is a biennial or short-lived perennial and it can grow 10 to 15 feet tall. It has enormous leaves that are compound and up to 5 ft wide on the bottom, with 3 incised leaflets. It has thick hollow stems that can be 2 to 4 inches in diameter and covered in purple blotches with course white hairs. You can identify this plant when it is in its flowering stage because it has numerous small white flowers that are in bloom June and July in a large flat-topped umbel measuring 2 1/2 ft across. After it flowers it dies back to a thick taproot. The Giant Hogweed belongs to the carrot and parsley family. This plant can be harmful to humans as it produces a clear, watery sap that is capable of causing photo dermatitis which is a sensitivity of the skin to sunlight.

The sap produces painful, burning blisters or red blotches that may turn purple over time. It is very important to make sure you wear gloves when handling this plant and also if it is being burned avoid the smoke if it is near by. It is believed this plant was brought into the United States for its fruit that is used in Iranian cooking. Giant Hogweed can increase soil erosion along river banks and it can also harm fresh water weeds.

         

All ideas, concepts, and content including text, content and graphics are owned by
The Garden of Friendship and its members unless otherwise noted and should not be
taken or duplicated without expressed written consent. © 2000 and beyond.
The Garden of Friendship