Heracleum mantegazzianum - Giant Hogweed
Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Equisetopsida - Order: Apiales - Family: Apiaceae
This invasive plant, originating from the Caucasus Mountains between Turkey and Russia, is not only a threat to other wetland and riverside flowers but also to people: the hairs on the stems and the undersides of the leaves carry poisonous sap. Brushing against this plant can leave you with large and very painful blisters.
Giant Hogweed can reach a height of five metres and has flower heads up to half a metre across.
In Wales parts of the Usk and Wye Valleys are already suffering serious encroachment by Giant Hogweed; this is particularly worrying in view of the number of children who enjoy rafting and canoeing on the public navigation section of the River Wye below Hay-on-Wye.
Sue Parker's latest ebook is a revised and enlarged edition of Wild Orchids in The Burren. Full details here...
Buy it for just £5.95 on Amazon...
Sue Parker's latest ebook is a revised and enlarged second edition of the acclaimed Wildflowers in the Algarve - an introductory guide. Full details here...
Buy it for just £3.95 on Amazon...
Sue Parker's new ebook is a comprehensive and fully revised edition of her acclaimed field guide to the Wild Orchids of Wales. Full details here...
Buy it for just £5.95 on Amazon...
Sue Parker's 5-star acclaimed field guide to the Wild Orchids of the Algarve is now available as an ebook. Full details here...
Buy it for just £5.95 on Amazon...
Please Help Us: If you have found this information interesting and useful, please consider helping to keep First Nature online by making a small donation towards the web hosting and internet costs.
Any donations over and above the essential running costs will help support the conservation work of Plantlife, the Rivers Trust and charitable botanic gardens - as do author royalties and publisher proceeds from books by Pat and Sue.