It is a pretty ornamental plant , but beneath its bucolic appearance, it is a dangerous and worrying species . It is invasive, proliferating rapidly on roadsides, in meadows, on river banks and at forest edges. Contact can cause serious burns . Since 2017, this plant from the east has been on the European regulatory list of invasive alien species . Its production, distribution and use within the European Union are prohibited. This is giant hogweed , an ornamental plant that comes from Russia.
How to recognize it?
Heracleum mantegazzianum ( Caucasian hogweed ) is a giant plant that measures up to 5 meters in height. Its leaves can measure around 50 cm to 1 m in diameter and its stem is robust, hollow and grooved. When flowering, it has white umbels (20 and 50 cm in diameter). It is a plant that grows at the edge of water. Originally from Eastern Europe, the plant has proliferated in the United States, France (East and North East) and Quebec.
The dangers of giant hogweed
Contact with giant hogweed causes serious burn lesions on the skin , particularly when exposed to the sun. The sap of giant hogweed contains toxic substances which are activated by sunlight and cause huge painful blisters which develop over a few days under the action of the phototoxic toxin . These are serious 2nd and 3rd degree burns and leave residual hyperpigmentation spots (brown and persistent) after healing.
If you come into contact with giant hogweed, here is what you should do:
– Remove the sap as quickly as possible with a wipe or tissue without rubbing, then soap and rinse thoroughly with cool water.
– Change clothes if they have been in contact with the plant.
– Avoid exposure to light for at least 48 hours (duration of photosensitization).
– Avoid exposure of the affected area to the sun for at least a week.
– If the eyes have been in contact with the sap of giant hogweed , rinse them thoroughly and immediately wear sunglasses to reduce the risk of exposure to light. The toxin in the sap can burn the eyes and cause permanent blindness . If contact is severe and the skin turns red, consult a doctor or the poison control center immediately .
How to avoid the dangers of giant hogweed
– Do not approach or touch the plant and keep children away from it.
– If you encounter giant hogweed , especially if it is in an area frequented (especially by children), report its presence to the authorities of your municipality who will be responsible for eliminating it . Do not try to pull it out or mow it, because its eradication requires wearing protective equipment to prevent any contact of the toxic sap with the skin or eyes .