Wyn Delano
WMAL.com
At first glance the Giant Hogweed, a tall, leafy weed with white flowers capping its branches, could seem like a welcome addition to Virginia’s biome. The sap of the plant, however, is extremely toxic to humans – potentially causing third-degree burns and blindness. The first confirmed sighting of the weed in the state, found near a Berryville home, is anything but welcome news to state officials.
“We had seen some reports that it had been in some neighboring states: West Virginia, North Carolina, and also some states to North,” said Ken Slack with the Virginia Department of Transportation. “Perhaps it was a matter of time before it crossed the border into Virginia.”
Northern states have been conducting eradication efforts for over a decade, with one program in New York State eradicating over 6.3 million Hogweed plants since 2006. While it would take some time for the plants to take root in Virginia, a single Giant Hogweed can disperse up to 20,000 seeds – making this an issue that state officials would rather solve sooner than later.
Giant Hogweed, endemic to South Asia, was brought to the U.S in 1917 as an ornamental plant – so it is fitting that officials confirmed the current sighting in Berryville to be of the same motivation:
“It is my understanding that it was planted on purpose by a previous owner… and the current owner discovered it,” Elaine Lindholm of the Virginia Department of Agriculture told WMAL. “I think its fairly common for an occurance like this where people planted something years ago before it was even listed as a noxious weed…it is a beautiful plant.”
Additional sightings of the Hogweed in early June by VDOT in Frederick County show that the plant can at least establish itself in Virginia outside of a domesticated garden.
As the plant potentially continues to spread, Mr. Slack urged that communication and identification are key to avoid hurting road workers who might confuse the Giant Hogweed with a less deadly plant:
“You don’t want to attack it like its a regular weed with one of those string trimmers, that can certainly get [the sap] on your skin and into your eyes,” he said.
As of now, the invasive weed is little more than a minor concern and curiosity. Yet by proving that it can survive in this particular mid-Atlantic climate, the plant has taken a big step in becoming a headache for Virginians everywhere.
Copyright 2017 WMAL and WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: Pixabay)
