Giant Hogweed

[Halton Hills]

.

Something to be very careful about when birding or hiking as it appears to be spreading.

I know there are people that visit the Scotch Block Winery, and there happens to be some Giant Hogweed in the Third Line area between 10th and 15th Sideroad in the ditches, and along the edge of the Scotch Block Reservoir. It can be found in several locations throughout Southern Ontario.

It looks like a giant Queen Anne’s lace, and can be very dangerous to handle. The plant has a clear, watery sap containing toxins that cause photo dermatitis. If the sap comes into contact with a person’s skin, exposure to sunlight can result in painful, burning blisters that can develop into purplish or blackened scars. The presence of minute amounts of sap in the eyes can lead to temporary or even permanent blindness.

It usually grows in flood plains in moist soils and the seeds from the plant can be dispersed in water. A member of the parsley family, the plant’s most impressive characteristic is its massive size. It reaches a height of 10 to 15 feet when in flower and has hollow stems, two to four inches in diameter with dark reddish-purple spots and bristles.

More information on Giant Hogweed can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Hogweed

And here:

http://www.ontarioweeds.com/weed.php?w=HERMZ


.

.


.

[The Observer]

I would have thought it was Queen Anne's Lace on steroids and not thought twice about touching it. Thanks for the heads up and the link to the Ontario weed site!

[Marnie]

Another problem is that giant hogweed looks an awful lot like cow parsnip, which I see regularly in the Don Valley. This page is helpful to show differences:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/41009.html

[Halton Hills]

.


Drove down Third Line today for a look-see.......Frankly.......I'm stunned....   :shock:

I was expecting maybe a few specimens .......but instead found the area covered with hundreds of plants as far as the eye could see.

The town has been there already and made an attempt to "clean" up some of the area......but it looks like it will be a lost cause.

It appears that they scraped the sides of the embankments that lead down from the road and perhaps did some spraying as well, basically trying to control the plants nearest the roadway, but new shoots have already re-sprouted.

It is growing right up to the pavement of the road......and looking deep into the bush you can see hundreds of the towering flowers spread throughout the area.

It truly is a spectacular plant, considering it's growth rate.

Not knowing the dangers, I can see how easily someone could be harmed by their curiosity, being that it is right there at the edge of the road.


.

[Moira]

Very interesting.  A small motel in Jackson's Point on Lake Simcoe has these in their front garden.  I stopped to take a picture.

[egret]

tks  

Hope there is none on Wards Island


Egret

[Halton Hills]

Very interesting.  A small motel in Jackson's Point on Lake Simcoe has these in their front garden.  I stopped to take a picture.

Are you sure it was Giant Hogweed? Can you post the picture?

Here is a couple of shots from Third Line taken about a month ago. The flowers had already gone to seed. They averaged 10 to 12 feet in height.

The second shot shows how far back it has spread, but it is really only a small sample of the infestation.


.

.

.

.

[AaronAaron]

I had an encounter with the sap in 1999 not knowing about it then, causes a nasty rash and blistering that takes about 14 days to clear up, however it is only harmful if leaves/stems are crushed or damaged to allow contact with sap, you won't be harmed just by brushing against it,  like poison ivy. Seeds are edible, used in Iranian cooking