Portland, OR

It is true that I am a nerd that enjoys the study of nature and all of its creatures, and part and parcel of living in Portland, Oregon is enjoying nature. So today, I will bring you the fruit of my research and study. I like bad things, dangerous things, and poisonous things, so today I bring you…

Giant Hogweed — Friend to Neither Skin Nor Eyes

The Giant Hogweed is hard to miss. It can grow taller than you and I. Here’s a picture from the King County, Washington website.

It kinda looks like a Queen Anne’s lace that grew outside a nuclear power plant, doesn’t it?

Giant Hogweed is a member of the carrot and parsley family, believe it or not. I have to wonder how deep the root grows, if it is more like carrots than parsley, but it looks more like parsley, so maybe it doesn’t have a large taproot. According to Wikipedia (which I hate using but come on, its so easy sometimes to write stuff without proper documentation — but this is a plant we are talking about, so the information is probably just fine), giant hogweed has tuberous roots, like a potato, so maybe it is more like a carrot after all.

Oregon counties where giant hogweed has been found.

Like some invasive species, giant hogweed was brought to Europe by the British and their fondness for flora. The giant hogweed soon escaped, because if you will notice the flowerheads, the plant gives itself an advantage to multiply by producing anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 seeds. And those seeds can survive for up to 15 years, so even if you think you have destroyed the mother plant, new babies can give you headaches for years to come.

Now, what is really all that bad about giant hogweed, you may be asking youself, it’s kind of pretty, and definitely interesting. Well, yes, it is kind of pretty and interesting, but it is also poisonous. Not that you’d eat giant hogweed, but the plant manufactures this toxic sap, that can irritate your skin. But the best part is that if sunlight hits the sap-kissed skin, the irritation will turn into painful, burning blisters that can leave purple scars that can last for years. Neat.

Oh, and if the sap gets in your eyes, you can go blind. Yeah, super. Not so pretty now, huh?

noxious weed, invasive species, poisonous, giant hogweed, carrot, parsley, Portland, Oregon, British, Europe, toxic, toxicity, plants, weeds, sap, skin irritation, blisters, blindness