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giant hogweed
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Closeup of a blooming Giant Hogweed plant, Heracleum mantegazzianum, with large clusters of small white flowers and green seed heads among broad green leaves.
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giant hogweed

plant
Also known as: Heracleum mantegazzianum
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Closeup of a blooming Giant Hogweed plant, Heracleum mantegazzianum, with large clusters of small white flowers and green seed heads among broad green leaves.
Giant hogweed Flowers of giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). Contact with the sap can cause phytophotodermatitis, in which the skin severely blisters if exposed to the sun, and can result in blindness if the sap enters the eyes.

Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is a plant native to the Caucasus region that has become an invasive species in Canada, the United States, and parts of Europe. It can grow up to 13 feet tall and has a stout, red-spotted stem and large white flower clusters. The plant is toxic, containing furocoumarins that cause phytophotodermatitis upon contact with skin and exposure to sunlight, leading to severe blisters. Sap entering the eyes can cause blindness. It was introduced to North America as an ornamental plant in the early 1900s.12

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