You wouldn’t say it to look at it, but this beautiful flowering plant is so dangerous that it can cause serious burns and even damage your DNA.
New York officials have sounded the alarm about the invasive giant hogweed that is spreading throughout the state, but is now also spreading across the country.
The giant hogweed can grow 3 to 6 meters high, has pointed leaves and blooms in the summer with white flowers. However, the plant contains toxins that can cause painful blisters.
The sap also contains a substance that can bind to the DNA in skin cells when exposed to ultraviolet light, destroying the DNA molecules in the body.
The giant hogweed can grow 3 to 6 meters high, has pointed leaves and blooms in summer with white flowers, but contains toxins that can cause painful blisters
Giant hogweed is one of the few invasive plant species in North America that can be harmful to human health and also harmful to the environment. The plant causes a severe reaction when people come into direct contact with it.
The first sign of photodermatitis, a skin condition that causes inflammation after exposure to too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation, is redness of the skin, which may also be itchy.
Burns develop within 24 hours, followed by large, fluid-filled blisters within 48 hours.
The initial irritation usually disappears within a few days, but the affected areas may feel more sensitive when exposed to UV light. The irritation can persist for years.
People with very sensitive skin may require hospitalization after exposure.
Even after the burns have healed, they can leave purple scars for years.
The sap of the giant hogweed contains toxins that cause phytophotodermatitis, which means that they increase the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight.
The skin reacts more violently to the sap of the giant hogweed due to heat and sweat. It is therefore most dangerous in the summer.
The factory has established itself in several states, including Connecticut, Washington DC, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.
But the worst damage occurs at the microscopic level.
When the toxins enter the skin cells, they can destroy the body’s DNA molecules with the help of the sun.
This causes the skin cells to die, which ultimately causes the blisters.
Medical experts have advised that people who come into contact with the plant should immediately wash the exposed area with soap and water.
The giant hogweed is native to the Caucasus Mountains, a mountain range at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Central Asia.
The plant was first introduced to the United States when it was planted in a New York City garden in 1917.
Since then it has spread to the Northeast, the Great Lakes region, and into Washington and Oregon.
The plant is especially common in New York, as local garden centers sold the plant as an ornamental in the early 1900s.
Today, giant hogweed can be found in all but nine of the state’s 62 counties, with nearly 1,150 active sites. Several dozen of those counties contain more than 400 plants each.
The sap also contains a substance that can bind to DNA in skin cells when exposed to ultraviolet light, destroying the body’s DNA molecules.
And because this plant is such an effective propagator, it is extremely difficult to get rid of. A single giant hogweed can produce up to 100,000 seeds.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) launched a program to eradicate the plants in 2008. By 2023, they had completely removed giant hogweed from 61 percent of the known sites in the state.
But there are still more than 1,000 locations where these toxic invasive species occur.
The DEC encourages anyone who sees or comes into contact with a giant hogweed to report it to authorities so they can remove the plant from the area. Whatever you do, do not attempt to remove it yourself.
If you are exposed to giant hogweed sap, officials recommend avoiding contact with your eyes, immediately rinsing, avoiding sunlight, and covering the exposed area. Applying sunscreen to the affected area can also help prevent serious burns.
The factory now has locations in several states, including Connecticut, Washington DC, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.