Giant Hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi), a prevalent plant in Russia, has become a significant concern, prompting legislative measures to encourage its control by gardeners and farmers. Contact with this plant can cause serious burns, and due to an early spring this year, it has already grown significantly.
Oksana Drapkina, Director of the Research Institute of Therapy and Preventive Medicine and a medical doctor, shared advice on her Telegram channel about how to handle an encounter with Giant Hogweed.
Commonly found on road verges, in private plots, and forests, this plant features a thick, hollow stem and large leaves. Its sap contains chemicals that make the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light. When it contacts the skin and is then exposed to sunlight, it can cause severe burns and blistering, and eye contact can lead to blindness.
Drapkina advises that if you come into contact with Giant Hogweed, you should immediately wash the affected area with soapy water, cover it up, and avoid sunlight for several days. If the sap enters the eyes or mouth, they should be rinsed with water right away.
She warned specifically against mowing the plant, as trimmers can shred it, causing the poisonous sap to spray, potentially into the eyes.
The doctor added that burns from the plant develop in stages, starting with itching and redness and sometimes lasting several weeks.
Giant Hogweed is also hazardous to pets; any area of an animal’s body that contacts the plant should be thoroughly washed, and the animal should be kept out of the sun, Drapkina concluded.
Photo: Ummagumma, CC BY-SA 3.0 / wikipedia.org