This Viciously Harmful Plant Can Be Found In 14 MA Communities

Have you heard of giant hogweed? It's got white flowers, can pop up fairly suddenly, and is - well - giant. The invasive species of plant that can leave you with third-degree burns or blind if handled improperly.

Sounds like something out of Jumanji. But would you believe giant hogweed is in 14 communities around Massachusetts?

The State Department of Agricultural Resources says "control efforts are in progress" for the plant in: Acton, Blandford, Brimfield, Dover, Granville, Hinsdale, Lee, Martha's Vineyard, New Marlborough, Peru, Southwick, Stoghton, Sutton, and West Springfield.

The plant has been eradicated in 10 other communities, the department says. Giant hogweed has been wiped out in Andover, Boston, Gill, Groton, North Brookfield, Northampton, Sandwich, Wakefield, and Westfield.

(If you see what you believe to be giant hogweed in your city or town, call 617-626-1779 or report it here. But first make sure it's not a lookalike.)

New York health officials minced no words on its website when it came to the giant hogweed: “Do Not Touch This Plant!” The plant, listed federally as a noxious weed, is characterized by its white, umbrella-shaped-flower clusters and closely resembles cow parsnip. The plant can grow much taller though — up to 14 feet.

“Its sap, in combination with moisture and sunlight, can cause severe skin and eye irritation, painful blistering, permanent scarring and blindness,” the New York health department said.

Most recently, about 30 of the plants were found by Virginia Tech researchers in Clarke County, Virginia. While the scientists asked residents to watch for the plant, they emphasized that in that particular case, the weeds were likely planted intentionally decades ago and hadn’t spread.

“It’s a dangerous plant but I’m not overly concerned about it. This seems to be an isolated incident,” said researcher Michael Flessner, an assistant professor and extension weed science specialist.

The researchers strongly advised against mowing or weed-whacking the plant without wearing proper covering and safety gear.

Patch reporters Dan Hampton and Deb Belt contributed to this report.

Photo credit: : jps / shutterstock