The Giant Hogweed, a seemingly innocent flower, is one of the most hazardous invasive plants in the US, and it is spreading rapidly across New York State.
This plant, with its white flowers resembling Baby’s Breath, is packed with sap that causes phytophotodermatitis, which disables the skin's ability to protect itself from the sun. Contact with the sap can result in severe skin reactions, including third-degree burns and blindness. These effects can last for months or even years.
Even a slight brush against the plant can cause painful pustules and skin damage. Most individuals are unaware of the exposure until it’s too late.
Patryck Jones, an assistant pastor at Life Church in Syracuse, experienced this firsthand last July. While clearing brush with a weed wacker, he unknowingly chopped down stalks of Giant Hogweed. Within 30 minutes, he felt itching and burning on his skin, mistaking it for stinging nettle. However, the reaction intensified, leading to burning, itching, and blistering that broke into open sores.
The plant's sap can cause even more severe reactions when combined with sweat, which is particularly problematic as the plant blooms in the heat of summer. According to Daniel H. Waldhorn from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the painful effects of exposure can last for days, and the overall impact can endure for months or years.
Jones’s encounter resulted in severe blistering on his legs and inflammation on his hands, exacerbated by his Lyme disease. Despite the severity, he did not report his exposure to authorities.
Giant Hogweed, brought to the U.S. from the Caucasus Mountains over two centuries ago, is a notorious invasive species. It causes significant harm to people and animals, and disrupts native plant ecosystems. The plant is especially prevalent in New York due to early 20th-century garden centers that sold it as an ornamental plant.
The plant is now present in all but nine of New York’s 62 counties, with nearly 1,150 active sites, some hosting over 400 plants each. The Upstate Poison Control Center reported ten cases of Giant Hogweed exposure in the past five years, but Waldhorn suspects this number may be underreported. Often, other plants like Wild Parsnip, which cause similar burns, are mistaken for Giant Hogweed.
Since 2020, reported burns have occurred in Genesee, Steuben, Erie, Oneida, Broome, Warren, Monroe, and Onondaga counties. Despite the severity of his reaction, Jones never reported his incident to the authorities.
Efforts to control the spread of Giant Hogweed have been ongoing since the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) launched a control program in 2008. The DEC urges anyone who encounters the plant to report it so that it can be safely exterminated.
Experts warn against cutting down the stalks with a weed wacker, as it causes the sap to spray widely. The best way to prevent exposure is to avoid the plant altogether.
