Giant
hogweed, heracleum mantegazzianum, is cow parsnip’s bigger, badder
cousin and it packs a great big wallop!
Just
like cow parsnip, the sap of the giant hogweed contains phototoxic furanocoumarins (fyur-a-no-coo-MAR-inz), which will
cause phytophotodermatitis and burns, when UV rays from the Sun, touch any skin
that has come into contact the sap (for more on furanocoumarins, read Cow
Parsnip...Watch Out!©, HERE). What is worse, according to the New York
State DEC, is that even after the burns heal, your skin can be discolored, and
you can have an increased sensitivity to sunlight, which can last for years!
So, how do you know if the white flowering
plant that you see is the invasive (originally native to
central Asia) giant hogweed, which has now spread to much of Europe and parts
of North America, or if it is just cow parsnip?
First off, it is giant! Hogweed
grows to between 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters) tall, cow parsnip is only 5 to
8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 meters) tall. Also hogweed
has purple splotches on the stem, which cow parsnip doesn’t have.
If you do see this plant, stay away from it, take pictures and contact
the environmental authorities in your area, so that they can come and safely
destroy it, before it spreads.
For more information on Giant Hogweed, click HERE
and HERE.
I
hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me
on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on both The
Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE,
and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube. If you have questions, as always, feel free
to leave a comment on either site. I
announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at
bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.
That
is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!
Sources
Brunning, Andy; “The chemistry
of Giant Hogweed and how it causes skin burns”, August 3, 2017, [© 2024 Andy
Brunning / Compound Interest], https://www.compoundchem.com/2017/08/03/gianthogweed/,
accessed June 7, 2023
Cornell
Weed Identification; “Cow Parsnip”, [©2024 Cornell University], https://blogs.cornell.edu/weedid/cow-parsnip/#:~:text=This%20can%20affect%20sensitive%20individuals,for%20at%20least%2048%20hours,
accessed June 8, 2024
LaFrance, Paul; “Hikers
beware: Cow parsnip can inflict pain on those who don't take precautions”,
Anchorage Dailey News, June 16, 2016 (Updated: June 30, 2016), https://www.adn.com/adventure/outdoors/2016/06/16/hikers-beware-cow-parsnip-can-inflict-pain-on-those-who-dont-take-precautions/,
accessed June 7, 2024
New York Invasive Species
Information; “Giant Hogweed”, [© New York Invasive
Species Information 2024], https://nyis.info/invasive_species/giant-hogweed/,
accessed June 15, 2024
NYS DEC; “Cow Parsnip” https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/cow-parsnip#:~:text=Cow%20parsnip%20is%20not%20considered,from%20sunlight%20for%2048%20hours,
accessed June 7, 2024
Polly, “Steer Clear of
Dangerous Plant That Causes Painful Burns & Permanent Scars”, [© 2024 Big
Frog 104, Townsquare Media, Inc], https://bigfrog104.com/steer-clear-of-dangerous-plant-that-causes-painful-burns-permanent-scars/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral,
accessed June 14, 2024
Read More: Steer Clear of
Dangerous Plant That Causes Painful Burns & Scars |
https://bigfrog104.com/steer-clear-of-dangerous-plant-that-causes-painful-burns-permanent-scars/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral"
USDA; “common
cowparsnip”, https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=HEMA80,
accessed June 7, 2024
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