Giant Hogweed- Don’t Touch This Toxic Plant ❌☠️

[@chrisstokie2361]

I used to work on a golf course 20 year's ago and we had to use strimmers to keep the weeds down in the summer. I was always covered in blisters. The head groundsman said I must have been allergic to something. I proved him wrong after other groundsmen started to get the same blisters. Amazing what a bit of knowledge can do. 👍

[@isctony]

Strimming common hogweed (cow parsley) will have the effect of splatter blisters on exposed skin. The sap is the same but less pungent than giant, but the process of strimming distributes the sap across the skin.

[@AndreaDingbatt]

Just wanted to let people know, ~The Blisters can last longer than 5years!! I got burnt by Giant Hogweed in my Late Teens, ~ I'm almost 60 years now. Since then, every time I allow Sunshine on my skin, the painful Blisters reappear!! Seriously it's a nasty plant, but I'm glad to see that people are learning more about it now!! (*When I got burned, there was no information about it!!) Namasté 🙏🕊️💞🌟 Andréa and Critters. ...XxX...

[@williampotato1221]

Jesus! My mate wiped his arse with the leaves when we were kids. I thought he was joking around when was saying he was in agony 😬.

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

Ouch. Have you found any creams/ salves that help?

[@grimmar80]

Thank you! It is worth mentioning that potency of it's toxicity greatly increases during the heat and also with the moisture of air and sweat of people who will come to a contact with it. Amazing but realy dangerous plant.

[@Ladadadada]

Fortuitous timing on this video. I think I may have spotted a giant hogweed in flower on a towpath in outer London last weekend. If I can identify it properly next time I'm up there (probably this coming weekend) I can report it and get it removed before it sets seed.

[@Pagespinner]

I'm old enough to remember when the Sunday newspapers used to carry adverts for gardeners to buy 'cartwheel flowers', with pictures of happy children playing beneath them!

[@joecurly3637]

This plant is also harmful to dogs, too. I've recently seen it on a few of my walks, but keeping my dog under strict control. Still a nicely informed and detailed video!

[@joakimcarlberg5826]

This plant really messed me up when I was a kid. Got the sap all over my face, legs and arms. Still have a scar on my right leg 20 years later.

[@susanb4816]

Make sure you dont burn it as the smoke is also toxic

[@phubblewubbphubblewubb]

S.W England around 1980 I was out hacking in a remote damp and wooded valley when I came upon a large patch of this, it was in full flower, heads around 2'6" across, stood at least 16 feet high, the stems were like tree trunks. I had no idea what it was other than a wild Parsley type thing! I was so impressed by it that I later returned with a vehicle and a saw, I cut around ten down, dragged them through the woods to my car and tied them onto the roof. I attached string and hauled them up to the lofty rafters in my flat above the stables where I worked, they looked spectacular! They dried and became quite a talking point over then next few years, nobody had seen them before. After this I found out what the plant was. The funny thing is that despite touching the plant and only wearing a tee shirt I never had a reaction.

[@LewisSerex]

My theory; (I'm usually right, lol) the photo toxicity works by breaking down the DNA associated to UV protection. So it is likely genetic. Some people with be affected while others will not. Dont think many people know this. But you only confirmed my theory.

[@LewisSerex]

My theory; the photo toxicity works by breaking down the DNA associated with UV protection. It is likely genetic. Some people are affect others are not. You're not the first to claim it never caused a reaction. And some people here are saying even common hogweed has caused severe reactions. Meaning they're more sensitive to the process.

[@AndreaDingbatt]

Recently Spotted this in Cumbria UK!! Will be Reporting it again and have it Professionally Removed!! ~Thank you so much for sharing This, because the Burns can come back every time we are out in the Sun!! Namasté 🙏🕊️💞🌟 Andréa and Critters. ...XxX....

[@lewis1544]

Whereabouts? I live in Whitehaven and never seen this or hemlocks.

[@AndreaDingbatt]

@@lewis1544 Warwick Bridge, Carlisle. (Giant Hogweed.) Hemlock and hemlock water dropwort likes the rivers//streams and damp, unkempt fields, ditches n hedgerows, also it often grows near cow parsley. Happy Foraging, Stay Safe and Well

[@lewis1544]

@@AndreaDingbatt Yes, looked for hemlocks near watercourses but not seen. Thanks.

[@BillboBirsay]

I have entire fields of this that grow near me, they seem to go from nothing to 6 foot in a week!

[@sailingayoyo]

I get bad blisters from common hogweed sap so I dread to think how bad giant hogweed would be, luckily not found any near me. Apparently parsnip plants can also make skin more sensitive to sunlight.

[@dunc71]

Celery too. I used to grow and harvest commercially

[@garethmcmahon9769]

Inadvertently strimmed this once, yeah you don't a second time. Horrible stuff.

[@darylg]

Great video thank you I'll be showing my kids this

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

Thanks 😁

[@beverlybradley5485]

We used to call these plants scabby eyes when we were kids , my parents called them that I’m from West Cumbria and it was to stop us from picking them or touching them, did anyone else call them different names from other parts of the country.

[@bannedagain.8334]

It's all over the UK..

[@iainb1577]

Two days ago my wife spotted and reported a site of hogweed at the edge of a public park. It was in a place where I would often play in my childhood 50 odd years ago and I remeber back then large areas of Giant Hogweed in the waste ground just outside the park. It seems hard to shift.

[@tommyheron464]

There's loads just behind my house. There's huge ones by the railway track. It looks like some close to the paths have been chopped. They are amazing looking plants to tell you the truth. And a bit menacing.

[@klisher]

I used to strim the motorway embankments around London. I once got splashed by a bit of the sap and got a blister on my wrist I kept it covered up and after a few weeks it was fine. I was worried that the next summer the blister would return but I got lucky on that.

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

Yes some people seem to be less affected than others. One of the lucky ones 😁

[@klisher]

@@UKWILDCRAFTS 👍👍

[@adriennea9335]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. I’ll be on the lookout!

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

Thanks 😁

[@MuzikBike]

Do both species of hogweed hybridize with each other commonly? Atomic Shrimp showcased a strange specimen a while ago (plant identification app video, around 7 minutes and 10 seconds in) which was exceptionally tall for common hogweed, but didn't quite look like giant hogweed.

[@ralphhathaway-coley5460]

Reportedly it can hybridize with the native Hogweed.

[@magoomchhugh]

Very informative, thanks 👍

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

You’re welcome 😁

[@littlegrandadoutdoors]

Thanks... I will definitely keep my eyes peeled.... knew of it , but not the details...

[@bellslinki]

Thanks for the reminder

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

You’re welcome 😁

[@telephonebear21]

Common vs Giant very useful to know. Though staying safe growing up we used to call all hogweed giant hogweed, better that way round until youre confident on the difference.

[@RH_Wildcamping]

Well timed.. Thanks you..

[@greenstair]

Thank you very much for the vid'. Cattle are unaffected by it: one of the most effective ways to control is to allow cattle to graze right down to the waters edge, as they will completely remove it. Unfortunately Natural England don't like allowing cattle to do this, but it was used as a control in several catchment areas of the River Tweed.

[@LewisSerex]

I was told this the other day.

[@JCCOOLDOWN]

It's everywhere in the cotswold literally. Along side roads.

[@funkydozer]

Great informational video. Need one on vampire horseflies too which are becoming more and more widespread in the UK, now needing hospital treatment.

[@dunc71]

Clegs have been widespread for the 40 odd years I've been alive

[@funkydozer]

@@dunc71 Yes, but not in the numbers we are seeing now, and not with the severity of reactions.

[@bertjesklotepino]

Berenklauw or Hogweed is toxic. And they are also often found near motor ways. In fact: in the Netherlands almost every motor way has a patch somewhere with these plants.

[@bertjesklotepino]

It spreads like crazy here in the Netherlands. I imagine the same will be true for other countries. Might this be the way Nature is gonna get rid of the human population?

[@ralphhathaway-coley5460]

There is a problem with people and council misidentifying the Native Hogweed with giant Hogweed. I had a job stopping a council spraying my Native Hogweed with weedkiller where it was growing with some young Willow cuttings. I was deliberately growing and spreading my Native Hogweed to give to our horses as a treat as they love it.

[@LewisSerex]

They're just morons wrongly provided with competency of using weedkiller. Council are idiots anyways.

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

That’s a shame. I see similar things to this all the time unfortunately

[@petercresswell7851]

I cleared a piece of land I bought next to my house with a brush cutter had a visor on but only a tee shirt.The inside of my arms blistered up bad.It was about 18 months before the blotches disappeared.I googled the weed then found out it was toxic

[@thundersnow93]

That's bold of him to handle the common hogweed right next to the giant hogweed plant.

[@bertieschitz-peas429]

This made me think, there's a song about giant hogweed i heard back in the day, i'm sure its a Genesis track.

[@MuzikBike]

You would be right on that one.

[@wideyxyz2271]

Marillion not Genesis

[@bertieschitz-peas429]

@@wideyxyz2271 nah I just checked, it's on the album Nursery Cryme by Genesis 'return of the giant hogweed'.

[@siblaker6331]

Genesis song from 1971. Classic prog rock. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🌻🦊

[@caledonianson927]

There are sections of riverbanks in Aberdeenshire that are totally inaccessible due to hogweed infestation.

[@DiddyKongsLeftFoot]

they’re all over the place in Ireland

[@apikmin]

Hi. How similar are the flowers to Elderflowers? Great video, thank you 😁

[@AndreaDingbatt]

White Umbles of Flowers!! Like Cow Parsley, Common Hogweed, Hemlock and Hemlock Water Dropwort, and Yes, Similar to Elderflowers, Except not on a Tree!! Blasted Nuisance of a plant!! I've Still got the Burns, after approx 45 years!!

[@apikmin]

@@AndreaDingbatt oh no, bless you! So Elderflowers look similar but grow from a tree/bush.. Not straight from the ground like a plant? Tree=Elderflower Plant=Potential danger 😄 Thank you! 😊🙏

[@AndreaDingbatt]

@@apikmin Thank you!! Yep,the elder is a tree, a small shrubby tree and I think that is where the problem could be.... My daft little dog, Jasper Mutt, almost walked straight into a giant Hogweed plant the other evening!! Do'h!! I've got it photographed and reported to the environmental health people who are supposed to be clearing it out. ~ Soon I hope because it's on Public land where a lot of people hang out with children and dogs. Namasté 🙏🕊️💞🌟 Andréa and Critters. .. XxX...

[@alphatoomegabeyondthematri5166]

It does look very similar to other plants like wild cow parsnip so good video thanks

[@simonhopkins3867]

Triffids

[@mattgoodchild8215]

A magnificent plant incredible for pollinators but I’ve spoken to people who have touched it and suffered for years 😮

[@premierexterior8720]

I read somewhere that this plant can give you nasty blisters.

[@AlyxGlide]

another vampire myth, explainable!

[@ba-gg6jo]

Genesis warned me about this plant

[@AffilateMaster]

Which one

[@androiduser4162]

i got this on my arms as a kid i still get the blisters 50 years later i need medical cream all the time for it i use betnovate to treat it

[@MrWiseinheart]

Does this type of plant grow in the USA?

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

Yes it’s an invasive in the USA too, though I’m not sure which states it’s in

[@markopolo5695]

I've just repotwo locations in Leeds

[@bugoutboo5784]

Over the years I've seen several spots where this grows in Stroud. It's a shame that it's so damaging to humans as, a fully grown specimen in flower is a magnificent sight! Flower heads the size of a umbrella. Definitely a look and don't touch plant though.

[@ITER345]

is common hogweed dangerous at all because its bloody everywhere near me

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

Common hogweed isn’t dangerous. Its sap is mildly phototoxic but nowhere near the severity of giant hogweed. People with sensitive skin should wear gloves when handling it, otherwise it’s fine :)

[@boym8123]

Great video.... shame you didnt put a hand over the giant one. My mum was gobsmacked when i showed pic of it then one with my hand over leaf lol. Its very aptly described. Giant.😊

[@LadyAnyaRomanov]

This is bizarre as I grew up with this stuff and use to pick it and keep the flowers and it never did me any harm....ever.

[@robertnitrile519]

I always cut it with a slasher ( Sharp edged blade) great video

[@kimblecheat]

There’s loads of it in N Yorks

[@daveworthing2294]

What's that stuff that looks just like it then? All over verges and similar places.

[@MuzikBike]

Could be normal hogweed, though pretty much anything from the carrot family is going to have the same sort of flower shape as this.

[@jodiemclauchlan1422]

Thanks.

[@loosesurfer]

How do you tell it apart from cow parsley

[@lawsdraws]

Is Hogweed and Cow Parsley the same thing? We have loads of this growing nearby, all along the riverbank. I will inspect a little closer (not too close though, lol) and see if it's the giant variety! Are the flowers the same on both?

[@johnski3794]

Hi, Hogweed sometimes gets called Cow Parsnip . Not the same as Cows parsley which is wild chervil or Anthriscus sylvestris . The flowers are quite similar as all from the Apiaceae family. Cheers

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

As above, giant hogweed, common hogweed and cow parsley are all from the same family- the apiaceae or carrot family. All have similar looking flowers, they form umbels (umbrella like clusters). I’ve got a few videos on my channel about the hogweeds and cow parsley

[@DruidzTV]

Rubbed my elbow up against this when I was a kid, every year I have a couple of weeks with a sore itchy patch on my arm.

[@FDCLDN]

They are everywhere here in Glasgow, thanks for the info.

[@MuzikBike]

Can confirm, the River Kelvin is a total loss.

[@FDCLDN]

@@MuzikBike Same as the Clyde, 12 footers all along it

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

Same in parts of Bristol

[@pg86131314]

It’s in the states now

[@RoughWalkers]

We get loads of it

[@richardwillson101]

I can attest to its potency increasing with sunlight, heat and sweat! I walked through a field of it on the hottest day of the year last year, and about two hours later, whilst drinking beer in a friends garden, I was covered in lumps, scratches ans raw skin. It was very uncomfortable and most of it lasted days, some of the marks lasted weeks and looked like a fresh graze from the thorn of a branble. Thankfully the large quantity of alcohol we consumed that day made the pain far more bareable. I have walked through fields of this stuff on numerous occasions without memorable issues, but that day itnwas highly noticeable and truly unpleasant.

[@UKWILDCRAFTS]

Sounds nasty. Did it return this summer?

[@richardwillson101]

@UKWILDCRAFTS not that I have noticed so far thankfully! But my legs don't see extreme sun that often 🤣

[@lose8447]

The plants doing all they can to fight back the humans

[@stefheartsyou]

Pesky giant hogweed!

[@jamesalexander5588]

Is it edible?

[@stephenchecksfield632]

To be honest James Alexander most likely it would be very toxic to eat as it already causes bad skin blisters when the sap on the skin reacts to sunlight so I think I will be a pretty safe bet that it will be toxic to ingest

[@MuzikBike]

Apparently it isn't, at least not to sheep, since they love eating the stuff and have actually been used to control infestations in recent years.

[@joline2730]

​@@MuzikBike well, NO. When animals eat plants, the seeds are ingested and then the animal poops them out and the seeds re-germinate in the ground or grass - and so it spreads . . . 😮😮

[@MuzikBike]

@@joline2730 That's how it works for fruiting plants. I don't see why you're mentioning this for giant hogweed.

[@joline2730]

@@MuzikBike because, my friend, that is how all stuff gets spread about, the wind scatters flower seeds to the wind and other stuff gets eaten - and pooped

[@JamesDickson-vs5of]

Is this what they call " dead mans foulrish"?

[@christianriddler5063]

I want to have a swampy mote around my land, the mote should have dikes in it, filled with giant hogweed. I wish I had that, not a single criminal would ever have the balls to break in. Imagine rows and rows of these giant plants and a wall closest to the house covered in rusty spikes and barbed wire.

[@rogerperry3913]

Another illegal immigrant

[@rickyraw5457]

Deport 👉

[@saudade2745]

Oh damn, I told the new natives it was a staple in our diet. Oops.