Giant Hogweed Spreading Across New York State, DEC Warns Of Burns and Blindness

The giant hogweed is a stunning plant--reaching up to 12 feet tall with flowers as big as umbrellas-- but it's also dangerous. Its sap can cause third degree burns and blindness and New York environmental officials are worried the plant is spreading across the state at an alarming rate, The New Daily News reports.

Officials have found 944 sites in New York, according to The News, including some in Nassau County, L.I., and Putnam County, where the green monster is flourishing.

The Department of Environmental Conservation has even set up a special Hogweed Hotline
(845-256-3111) for New Yorkers to call in sightings of the invasive species. Callers are asked to take photos and report site information, but should avoid touching the plant. (You can also check out photos in this handy giant hogweed identification guide.)

"If the sap gets on your skin and it's exposed to sunlight . . . you end up with third-degree burns, oozing and scars," Naja Kraus, the DEC's Giant Hogweed Program coordinator, told The New York Post, adding, "If it gets in your eyes, you can go blind."

Kraus also told The Post her office has received reports of kids using the plant's 4-inch-wide stems as telescopes, putting them up to their eyes -- and getting severe burns on their faces. And one DEC technician who was exposed to the plant "got a horrible burn on her leg that she still has to cover up," Kraus said.

The DEC says the giant hogweed is "a native of the Caucasus Mountain region between the Black and Caspian Seas. It was introduced to Europe and the United Kingdom in the late nineteenth century and to the United States in the early twentieth century as an ornamental garden plant".

The DEC released a map (see below) showing giant hogweed density by county. And although there are no reports of hogweed in New York City as of yet, Krauss told the Post "Just because it hasn't been reported doesn't mean it isn't there.".

Of course, the band Genesis warned us about this years ago in "Return Of The Giant Hogweed"... See the epic lyrics here. "Stamp them out! We must destroy them!"

Comments

[BlackYowe]

10:35 PM on 07/10/2011

I see there is not much near me yet. Crazy story.

[C Karen Stopford]

09:46 PM on 07/09/2011

Interesting story about how man rearranges nature and creates a monster, chronicled by Peter Gabriel to boot. This is SO much better than CBS or NBC!

[BeerLover]

04:11 PM on 07/08/2011

I'd love to send a bouquet to Michelle Bachman and Palin. So pretty!

[ThinkCreeps]

06:06 PM on 07/08/2011

Rename it giant tea weed. That'll sell better.

[ipolitics123]

04:44 PM on 07/09/2011

Nice. The tolerance and gentleness of the left, on full display.

[Daniel Hicks]

08:29 PM on 07/09/2011

...as if no one on the right is a hypocrite.

[blurredmolly]

07:17 AM on 07/10/2011

tough. they're worthless

[BeerLover]

04:09 PM on 07/08/2011

Wow....scary! They'll be spraying strange chemicals into the air before we know it. LEt's see.... it's near the great lakes.... could it have traveled from....... CANADAH??!?!?

[El Justiciero]

03:59 PM on 07/08/2011

Nausicaa seems less and less far-fetched . . .

[Gary Williams]

06:51 AM on 07/08/2011

Same Order of plants that poison Hemlock comes from, btw (Umbelliferae).

[Schoogie]

11:11 PM on 07/07/2011

I live in CA and recently had the type of burn-like reaction after gardening the article describes. I couldn't figure out what had caused it. After seeing the article, I realized we have an invasive plant in our yard in Mendocino that look almost exactly like the Hogweed. It's called "Cow Parsnip" and after doing a little research I found that it is related to Giant Hogweed and can also cause a similar reaction. It is pretty scary stuff. I developed a second-degree burn with blisters. Be wary!

[CaroleK1970]

03:07 PM on 07/07/2011

is hogweed synonymous with the word 'republicans' ?

[Gary Williams]

06:53 AM on 07/08/2011

The "word"? Much, much more closely related than that.

[windhill]

10:48 AM on 07/07/2011

No one came as close to true musical theater then Genesis did in this era, IMO- maybe the Who in a more relaxed, garage-band genre. In the year or so after this song was recorded PG refined his stage presence and was pure genius. Nothing like them in this era, likely will not be again. Linking this video to a story about invasive plants is like linking a lunar eclipse story to a video of the first moon landing.......

[Heracleum Mantegazziani]

09:31 AM on 07/07/2011

They are invincible! They seem immune to all our herbicidal battering!

[Abraxaas]

08:26 AM on 07/07/2011

This is interesting- here in Vermont we have a similar issue with wild chervil. It's a highly invasive plant that like hogweed can burn your skin if you get the sap on your skin. I've spent countless hours pulling chervil out of the hay field across the street from my house trying to control it. Good luck NY and please keep the hogweed to yourselves!

[TomMartin]

09:30 PM on 07/07/2011

Look at the map, it's already close to southern Vermont. I guess it's good after all that my company moved me out of New York years ago.

[Random User]

08:29 AM on 07/08/2011

I believe it hit Massachusetts first -- I live in eastern New York and remember hearing about this invasion in the Berkshire news media a while ago.

[European1919]

06:10 AM on 07/07/2011

Reminiscent of the Day Of The Triffids.
So hogweed bouquets are what you need tomake up when you've been off the leash for a weekend with the boys LOL

[srooge]

02:47 AM on 07/07/2011

derivative managers from wall street planted them around new york after their record windfall.

all brought to you by goldman sucks , we care.

[Oginikwe]

01:38 AM on 07/07/2011

The reporter should have included the botanical name: Heracleum mantegazzianum.

[NateinMpls]

12:08 AM on 07/07/2011

Plant it along the border!

[KateInMT]

12:05 PM on 07/07/2011

Why would you want to hurt the Canadians?

[lisunshine]

08:32 AM on 07/13/2011

Absolutly agree 100% - it should be planted along all the borders. That would help stop the illegals.