Category: Giant Hogweed

Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)by neil-hoskins

TheGardenLady received a follow-up question on her post about identifying and disposing of the Giant Hogweed plant.

I am wondering, once I dig up the roots, can it be burned safely? Or if it is dug up and bagged, then what do I do with it?

If you think that you have Giant Hogweed- Apiaceae (see here)  on your property or see it growing in spots where you walk, the first thing to do is to contact your state Department of Agriculture to ask what they recommend.

This plant is a Federal Noxious Weed, which makes it illegal to bring into the United States or move it across state lines because it is considered a public health hazard; so the states are trying to eradicate it.

The sap in Giant Hogweed has the potential to cause severe skin irritation in susceptible people and can cause temporary or possibly permanent blindness if it gets in the eyes.

Continue reading “More Information About Disposing of the Giant Hogweed Plant”

Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) by sillie_R

Most reports of giant hogweed turn out to be Cow Parsnip, Angelica, or some other [member of the carrot family]. See here.  People can distinguish giant hogweed from other species of the carrot family, not only by its gargantuan size, but by its purple-splotched, hairy stems.

Giant Hogweed by Limbo Poet

“Cow parsnip stems have a more ‘furry’ look to them, whereas the hogweed has long, white hairs which are most pronounced at the base of the leaf petiole (stem). But the foliage of cow parsnips and giant hogweeds before they send up flower stalks is so similar it’s almost impossible to tell them apart.” This statement comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Noxious Weed Program on Giant Hogweed, where you can get some bulletins with photos and information on Giant Hogweed.

Here’s another website that has a photo of the Giant Hogweed  so that you can see if this is indeed the plant you wrtie about. It looks like a Queen Anne’s Lace flower on steroids because the plant can grow up to 20 feet with a flower that measures up to 3 ft across and leaves that can be 5 feet wide. Giant Hogweed

Continue reading “Giant Hogweed: Identifying and Disposing It”