Giant Hogweed Identification

[corydoras]

We used to use the stalks as blow pipes as kids ,the lips got a bit tingly but nothing untowardly dangerous happened same with japanese knotweed ,great stuff to play with .

Let it live kids will learn the proper way the hard way which tends to be the best

That was not Giant Hogweed. Get Giant Hogweed sap on your lips or in your mouth and you can die. Edited April 12, 2017 by corydoras

[chesters1]

That was not Giant Hogweed. Get Giant Hogweed sap on your lips or in your mouth and you can die.

Sorry it was and i did mention tingly lips ,very tall plant impressive to a ten year old

I remember being hit with a bit and it leaving a vivid red mark on my back ,luckily i was rarely in the sun my avoidance could be good then ,never go out without a coat even now

I also used to cross the main line from waverley station and i could have died ,kids do stuff they probably still do

Edited April 12, 2017 by chesters1

[Phone]

Cory,

 

I kind of agree with Chesters1. Our "strain", if it is different(?), is usually just a major annoyance. Of course major abuse has major consequences but it is not an automatic death trap. At least I don't think it is (?). Maybe I better Google.

 

Phone

[Steve Walker]

In terms of the risk of photo-dermatitis, it would appear that it either isn't always toxic, or isn't always toxic to everyone;

 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2015/jul/15/giant-hogweed-digging-deeper-into-the-history-of-a-killer-weed

[Vagabond]

I also used to cross the main line from waverley station and i could have died ,kids do stuff they probably still do

Every schoolday from age 11 to leaving school at age 16 I used to take a shortcut through the local goods yard and have to cross the main line each morning.to get my "up" train for Tunbridge Wells (change at Eridge). On a lucky few mornings I would get a footplate ride to Eridge on the pickup goods if I was early enough - it left about twenty minutes before my train was due. I had told the crew my grandpa was a driver and that I had often helped prepare and/or dispose his engine. In those days that was good enough to admit a schoolboy to the camaraderie of the footplate - they gave me the odd fag as well.. I had to keep out of sight as the train went through the station though as the stationmaster was a bit rule-conscious. In the evening of course, I didn't have to cross the main line as I was already the right side

 

In other countries - such as Sweden and Australia and others too numerous to mention, much of the railway is unfenced. No doubt Darwinian selection deals with kids too stupid to realize railways are potentially dangerous.

Edited April 13, 2017 by Vagabond

[Tigger]

That was not Giant Hogweed. Get Giant Hogweed sap on your lips or in your mouth and you can die.

 

 

Can you do us all a favour then....you and sportsman go and eat a few large Hogweed plants !

[chesters1]

Now now dont be plantist theres many more far nasty plants in gardens than the poor hogweed

[Vagabond]

Lutra has the right idea - if you see a small plant that you even think might be a young Giant Hogweed, stamp upon it.

 

If you are unhappy about identification, then a study of the Umbelliferae is a must, but be warned, it is not easy

 

There are plenty of good foods in the family. Chervil, wild carrot, pignut, fennel, wild parsnip, samphire, alexanders,, sweet cicely, wild parsley etc

 

Equally there are some really poisonous nasties Cowbane, Hemlock. Hemlock Water Dropwort, Fool's Parsley Giant Hogweed etc

 

Neither list is meant to be exhaustive, and there are plenty in between ranging from bland but harmless to vaguely unpleasant.

 

Messing with Umbells is a bit like messing with fungi - fine if you know exactly what you are doing, dangerous otherwise.

 

 

Oh, and if anyone thinks they know the difference between Hogweed and Giant Hogweed,, bear in mind the two species hybridise and the hybrids show intermediate features. These hybrids are common and getting more widespread.

Edited April 13, 2017 by Vagabond

[Tigger]

The giant hogweed is seriously tough stuff. We've chopped it off and sprayed directly into the stems, it actually put out new shoots srtaight away and even flowered! We cut it off well below ground level as it's started to grow (it's roots where as thick as my thigh on some plants!) it just popped up again shortly after and we sprayed it....it grew back. It was sprayed with seriously strong gear last year and it shriveled up leaving patches on the ground akin to those the "Invaders" left when they glowed red died...remember the old series lol.

Anyhow, this year all those same plants are growing again as normal..there's hundreds of 'em!

If i'm honest I think they're a fantastic looking plant but obviously they need to be controlled but short of nuke 'em I certainly don't know how to do it.