Extremely Dangerous Plant Growing in Everyone’s Backyard

Everyone knows that there is an extremely dangerous plant in our ecosystem. These plants and trees have the ability to restore and revive the world’s ecosystem and even help balance the negative effects of global warming. But what happens when a harmless-looking plant turns out to be your worst nightmare? Meet the giant hogweed. In short, if you see it, run in the opposite direction. The giant hogweed first arrived in England in 1817 and by 1828 Cambridgeshire was peppered with tiny saplings. In 1895 it etched its name in scientific literature and by that time numerous European countries had imported it as an ornamental plant because of its massive size.

It was only in 1917 that the giant hogweed was first spotted in the gardens of New York and within a short period of time it started growing wild all over North America. In the 1950s experts started warning people about the plant’s dangers, but people continued to grow and make use of it. Owing to its phototoxicity and trespassing nature, the U.S Department of Agriculture listed it as a ‘noxious weed’ and as a result it is illegal to import it into the United States and one must have a permit to transport it to a different state. Despite efforts to curb down its growth, in June 2018 it was spotted growing in Virginia by experts from the Massey Herbarium.

What looks like a harmless cow parsnip, the giant hogweed can cause severe burns if you get too close to it and has the potential of sending you straight to your local ICU. Growing 14 feet tall with leaves spanning 5 feet each, the giant hogweed boasts tiny white flowers on its crown. Many people who tried to remove the weed from their backyard suffered severe burns and some of them have permanent scars on their hands, legs, and face to show the dangers of getting too close to it. Giant hogweed victims stated that the burns were so severe it felt like their exposed body parts were covered in hot grease.

For instance, in August 2015 Rebecca Challinor and her family were out on a picnic when they spotted a horde of giant hogweed. Since they didn’t know what the weed could do in proximity they let their children play around them. About 24 hours later one of their children had a bright red line running down their spine. Shortly after the red line turned into huge yellow painful blisters. Then we have the horrible case of a teenager called Alex Childress whose entire life changed after giant hogweed fell on his head. Childress was busy pulling out weed when he accidentally chopped off giant hogweed which landed on his head.

Not worried much, the teenager then carried the plant in his arms and threw it away. Later when he saw himself in the mirror, he realized his face and arms looked sunburned, but when he started scrubbing them, huge amounts of skin started falling off. After realizing what caused the burns, Childress and his mother went straight to the hospital for treatment. Chopping weed turned out to be a costly affair for this young man because apart from the intense pain, his injuries compromised his place in college. Indeed, this has been reported as one of its kind among the dangerous plant.

So what causes these burns? When touched, this dangerous plant, giant hogweed, releases a toxic resin that gets stuck to exposed skin making it extremely sensitive to sunlight, thereby causing severe burns. What’s more, people with giant hogweed burns are advised to stay away from direct sunlight for at least six months after their burns are healed. Giant hogweed also has the potential to blind people if immediate treatment isn’t sought. So how do we get rid of one growing in our backyard? The Department of Health states that people should wear proper gear that covers their body and wear rubber gloves before handling the weed. At best, professionals should be appointed to help get rid of the giant hogweed. This is just one example of a dangerous plant, hogweed, but there are certainly other cases related to other poisonous and dangerous fungi and algae that must be dealt with caution and care by the authorities.

Have you ever come across giant hogweed? Tell us how you handled it in the comments below. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends