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Heracleum mantegazzianum |
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| Common name |
giant hogweed |
| Family |
apiaceae |
| Life cycle |
monocarpic perennial |
| Flowers |
white (June) |
| Size |
10' or larger |
| Light |
sun-part shade |
We grow this on the berm way in the back of our yard, since it has an unpleasant reputation for toxicity and skin irritation. In fact, after reading up on it on the internet, we probably won't reintroduce this into our garden after this season - we expect it to die after flowering, since it is supposed to be monocarpic. This season will be its first to bloom, two years after sowing. The flower buds look like something out of Invasion of the body snatchers, and the leaves are just huge. Quite a bold plant - too bad it has such a bad attitude.
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In our garden, this plant grows in the following area: berm About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Heracleum mantegazzianum
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| louise | Sep 07, 2004 | hello, I love this plant, it's so beautiful, I think if you just don't touch it with your bare hands nothing is wrong.....it keeps out unwanted people.
maybe you can send me a small one?????? or some seeds, they are difficult to get in Holland
Hi Louise, thanks for your comments. I agree that this is fine for many gardens - just not for one in which small children roam around. If you'd like to trade for seed, please mail me. |
| beatrice del Perugia | Jul 05, 2005 | Can you please tell me where I can get this plant. I live in an isolated place where it will not hurt anyone. It is so beautiful and I remembert it from my garden in France when I was a child. cranebaker@optonline.net |
| Samuel Cody | Jul 21, 2005 | This plant is very dangerous. Sap from this weed will cause severe burns, blisters and scarring if skin is exposed to sunlight. Temporary or permanent blindness will result if sap gets into the eyes. My advice is not to give seeds or plants to anyone. See following website for more information: http://www.conservationallianceny.org/education/hogweed.php apollo230@excite.com |
| jacob haner | Jul 25, 2005 | I'll burn it for free and love it the whole time call! |
| Mattheus the Man | Aug 02, 2005 | Don't purchase, plant and grow the giant hogweed! Sap of the hogwood burns and blisters your skin, if skin is exposed to sunlight. A legend tells, that even one small child is dead somewhere in Europe, because he/she had got severe, serious burning injuries. In my opinion the giant hogwood is very ugly plant, just like a fictional UFO plant named "Triffide". Do you know "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed", a song of Genesis in their "Nursery Cryme" LP?
Mattheus the Man from somewhere Europe. |
| Matthew the Man | Aug 02, 2005 | PS. The giant hogwood spreads the seeds really badly. Crowds of seedlings grow elsewhere.... Let's destroy them all with a flamethrower and a root poisoner loaded with "Round-Up" poison. |
| beatrice del Perugia | Sep 09, 2005 | The plant I remember in France was not toxic as I hear you describe. It was invasive because my father and our neighbor used to cut it by hand and no one ever said anything ab out toxicity. The plant I remember was an umbellifer called LA GRANDE BERCE DU CAUCASE. Does any one know what it was? |
| Karl | Sep 17, 2005 | Beatrice the plant you describe is Giant Hogweed maybe your father had its less dangerous cousin in his garden, called Cow Parsnip, as they look very much alike and although Cow Parsnip is unpleasant it is not anywhere near as dangerous as Giant Hogweed, and as an aside it might interest you all to know that Giant Hogweed is so dangerous that it is illegal to grow it in some parts of the world, and others have active programmes to abolish it. |
| Alfredo | Apr 21, 2006 | Hi!
I am searching some info about this plant. I has been introduced also in south-western Patagonia (Argentina) and I want to write an article about it.
I was wondering, do you know were does the "mantegazzianum" name cames from?
Anyway, nice page!! |
| Steven | May 18, 2006 | Hi Rob. We have a large infestation of this in our back yard in rural NY. It definitely is Hog Weed by the pics I've seen on the internet. My family seems to have good resistance to its affects though. My girls, 11 and 13, have been known to chop it up just to see what it looks like inside. And I know I've handled it without protection many times. Despite the fact that it doesn't seem to bother us physically, I will remove it due to its intruding into our yard. My 13 year old daughter will probably miss it though. |
| Philip | Mar 19, 2009 | Giant Hogweed is spreading prolifically (EXTREEMLY INVASIVE) & crowding out native flora all around Holland, France, Belgium & Germany.
As well as it's Phototoxicity (which i have experienced first hand,) nothing will grow in the deep shade created by it's large leaves.
FOR THE SAKE OF HORTICULTURAL CONSERVATION please DO NOT CULTIVATE in areas it is not native to!!! |
| Philip | Mar 19, 2009 | ...it's actually also classed as a NOXIOUS WEED in many parts of North America & Australia. |
| Kris | May 27, 2009 | It is also considered a invasive and dangerous weed in Estonia. |
| Anna | Jun 06, 2009 | Having a severe burn from this invasive plant-I was working near it and inadvertantly crushed a leaf then later brushed my hand against that same leaf-I must recommend that this plant be removed from any area where unsuspecting people (or pets!) can touch it. And since it is a voracious self-seeder get rid of it before it blooms. Sure it looks neat, (something along the lines of gunnera, a physically similar, but far more benign plant) but it's not worth the potential danger. I'm not kidding when I say my hand hasn't stopped itching for days, there's a hideous purple mark and going in the sun, say to the beach in this fine early summer, puts me in anguish in very short order, I could not imagine the distress this would cause a child in the same situation. |
| Lynn | Jun 26, 2009 | My husband was recently burned by this plant in France. He was using a weed wacker so now has brown
spots everywhere the sap sprayed him...Planting this in your garden is like planting mines in your own garden. |
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Last modified:
June 16, 2004
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