FORGET stinging nettles and thorn bushes, there’s a much larger plant you want to be weary of.
Giant hogweed can cause severe blisters, burns and long-lasting scars if touched – and even blindness.
It is a large and invasive plant that can grow up to 14 feet tall with large, deeply lobed leaves that can measure up to five feet wide.
You’ll often find giant hogweed – distinctive by its umbrella-shaped clusters of white flowers – along riverbanks, roadsides and wastelands.
It thrives in damp, nutrient-rich soils and can be particularly problematic in areas where the soil has been disturbed.
“Its dense foliage prevents light from reaching the soil underneath, killing off native plants and leading to rapid soil erosion,” Keith Gallacher, director of Complete Weed Control, says.
Experts have warned of record invasion of Giant Hogweed this year as the mild and wet weather helped it boom earlier than ever.
Dubbed UK’s “most dangerous” plant, it has a toxic sap that can cause highly painful burns and blisters within 48 hours of exposure.
These burns can leave victims hospitalised and with permanent scars.
The sap of giant hogweed contains furanocoumarins, which sparks severe skin reactions when exposed to sunlight.
It’s also the sap that causes blindness.
Chemicals in the sap react with UV light from the sun, causing a phototoxic reaction of intense inflammation and damage to the cornea and other tissues in the eye.
The reaction can lead to chemical burns and blistering on the cornea, similar to the skin reactions that occur when the sap is exposed to sunlight.
Severe cases can result in scarring of the cornea, leading to partial or complete vision loss.
In some instances, the damage can be permanent if not treated promptly and properly.
This year’s early showing of Giant Hogweed could have been caused by 2024’s spring showers – with March seeing rainfall levels up by 27%, Yahoo reports.
The invasive species is not native to the UK.
It was first introduced as an ornamental in the 19th century when it escaped and naturalised in the wild, the Woodland Trust explains.
Giant hogweed often establishes itself along rivers and streams where its seeds can be easily transported by water.
Public sightings should be reported to your local authorities or the Environment Agency to help manage its spread.
