Giant hogweed, which reaches a height of 3 to 5 meters and can cause severe burns, is currently spreading rapidly in Germany and Austria. Every year, internet users warn against giant hogweed because this plant is highly poisonous and you should not touch it! Status posts are published again and again and, like every year , we receive inquiries about this topic again.

Every year, just in time for summer, a text and a few pictures about this poisonous plant appear, which are widely distributed on social media. Same this year. This warning reads:

Screenshot: Facebook
Screenshot: Facebook

“The Hercules perennial or giant hogweed.
EXTREMELY dangerous in this heat. It's best to stay out of her way, this also applies to your four-legged friends. Please report occurrences in public areas to the local municipalities, association municipalities or forestry offices. The owner is responsible for deposits on private property.”

So you could almost say that this status post on Facebook etc. is a social media evergreen; hardly any other plant is warned about with such regularity!

Yes, this plant, which can cause serious burns, is highly poisonous and should not be touched! The poison can penetrate the skin very quickly and causes:

  • a burning sensation in the mouth,
  • increased salivation,
  • Difficulties swallowing,
  • paralysis of the tongue,
  • severe vomiting,
  • Diarrhea,
  • Sweats
  • At lethal doses, ascending paralysis begins in the feet and progresses throughout the body. Death can occur after just 30 minutes due to respiratory paralysis. The patient is usually fully conscious.
Important note: This plant is highly toxic not only to humans, but also to horses, cattle and cows, pigs, dogs and cats, and birds.

Giant hogweed has the following symptoms:

The entire plant (including the root system) contains photosensitizing furanocoumarins, which cause phototoxic reactions skin contact and subsequent exposure to sunlight For sensitive people, simply touching the surface of the leaves is enough.

The reactions manifest themselves in redness , skin inflammation , irritation and, in severe cases, meadow grass dermatitis , which manifests itself as inflammatory, painful blistering.

Screenshot: Facebook
Screenshot: Facebook

These can be extensive and cause first to second degree burns. The skin irritations or blisters can cause weeping wounds that last for weeks and are accompanied by persistent pigment changes . Fever, sweating and circulatory shock can also be the result of handling the plant.

Information about giant hogweed

The or occasionally the giant hogweed ( Heracleum mantegazzianum , syn.: Heracleum giganteum ), also bear claw , Hercules perennial or Hercules herb , is a species of plant from the umbelliferous family (Apiaceae). It is a two- to perennial, once-flowering (hapaxanthe) herbaceous plant if left uninfluenced, i.e. not a perennial. It originally comes from the Caucasus and is a neophyte in Europe and North America.

Giant hogweed produces photosensitizing substances from the furocoumarin group, which have a phototoxic effect when combined with sunlight. Touch in conjunction with daylight can cause painful hives and blisters that are difficult to heal and appear like burns (photodermatitis) in humans and other mammals. It is therefore recommended to wear full protective clothing, including a face mask, when handling the plant. The Hercules perennial was voted poisonous plant of the year in 2008. ( Source )

Video from “my beautiful garden”

If you want to get rid of the plant, you must definitely take a few protective measures, otherwise you risk skin burns. “My Beautiful Garden” explains what to do. You in this video, ( source )


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )