New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Hogweed is toxic and an invasive species.
The highly toxic, invasive plant Hogweed was discovered in the Parkfairfax neighborhood Wednesday.
The Parkfairfax Unit Owners Association posted a warning on the website telling residents to stay clear of the plant. It will be removed as soon as possible. The species was confirmed by experts from the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Master Naturalists.
A resident reported that someone may have been growing it as an ornamental.
Invasive hogweed is a very toxic plant just recently found in Virginia. The plant originated in southwestern Asia. It was brought to the United States in the early 1900s as an ornamental plant.
The plant can reach heights of 15 to 18 feet and flower between June and August.
According to the Virginia Tech Project, “The flowers are umbrella-shaped resembling flowers of Carrot or Parsley, but much larger at 1 to 2 ½ feet wide. The leaves have an alternate arrangement, are deeply lobed and can be up to 5 feet in diameter. The stems are hollow and can be 2 to 4 inches in diameter and have distinct purple – red blotches and have prominent white hair. The stems have a thick circle of hair at the base of the leaf stalk.”
In terms of risk to humans, the Virginia Master Naturalist guidebook on invasive plants (called The Socrates Project) notes, “The juice of this plant can be strongly phototoxic resulting in serious skin reactions after exposure to sunlight. First a skin rash may occur that may change to blisters that can look like burn wounds. A red – purple scarring may develop that may last years. Exposure of the eyes to the plant’s juice may lead to blindness.”
The Parkfairfax UOA posted on its website the following: “There are several other plants that due look similar but do not carry the toxicity and health hazards as hogweed. If you come across this plant, please DO NOT TOUCH IT. The sap contains furocoumarin which to humans is strongly phototoxic. The sap can cause extreme skin burns and if the eyes are exposed could lead to blindness. It is not native to the United States and originates from South West Asia. We have attached a picture here of what it looks like and ask that you contact the office immediately. We have been given instructions on the safe and proper removal and will do so as quickly as possible.”
Read the complete Parkfairfax post here.
If you see a plant that you believe may be Hogweed, alert your local homeowners’ association or contact a Virginia Master Naturalist through the VMN organization by calling 434-872-4587.
