Giant hogweed is all the buzz this summer, but for all the wrong reasons. Similar in look to the harmless cow parsnip plant, giant hogweed is anything but harmless. Sometimes it can even cause third-degree burns and or permanent blindness! An invasive species to Canada that came over by way of Asia back in the 1940’s, giant hogweed has more recently began to spread throughout British Columbia and Ontario. It can be found in gardens, along roadsides, in ditches, and just about anywhere else a weed may typically grow. It’s sap can cause third-degree burns when in contact with skin, as well as blindness if it ends up in a person’s eye. Be on the lookout for this invasive species and steer clear!
It can cause third-degree burns and even permanent blindness – and it's spreading. Giant hogweed is cutting a wider swath in B.C. and Ontario, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada is urging people across the country to document sightings of the towering, three-metre green plant with large umbels of white flowers.
Giant hogweed is all the buzz this summer, but for all the wrong reasons. Similar in look to the harmless cow parsnip plant, giant hogweed is anything but harmless. Sometimes it can even cause third-degree burns and or permanent blindness! An invasive species to Canada that came over by way of Asia back in the 1940’s, giant hogweed has more recently began to spread throughout British Columbia and Ontario. It can be found in gardens, along roadsides, in ditches, and just about anywhere else a weed may typically grow. It’s sap can cause third-degree burns when in contact with skin, as well as blindness if it ends up in a person’s eye. Be on the lookout for this invasive species and steer clear!